YuGiOh: Nemesis
by Ezan
Summary: Young rebels on a mission revive two ancient zombies by accident!One of them is brought back to full power-Bakura-but the other remains a zombie.Will Bakura manage to bring his mysterious lover back, and how will the two take revenge?BakuraMarik(Malik)YAO
1. Feel

Ok, ppl! Here goes! This is my new story. It won't be very long…six, maybe eight chapters at most. Since I'm generally bored of author notes, and I know you are too, I'd simply like to say **I don't own Yugioh**, Kazuki Takahashi does. And for the record, I would never want to own Yugioh but I'd like to draw like Kazuki.

**IMOPTANT PS: **

Since there are many references to ancient Egypt, we have people talking Egyptian in the story. Naturally, **every single 'Egyptian' word I have written is COMPLETELY MADE UP**! If we ever make this into a movie, we'll be sure to call REAL linguistic experts in order for the characters to speak REAL Egyptian. I think that for now, however, making up a new language was fun.

"Quick! After them! Don't let' em get away!" came the mighty roar of the general, which echoed throughout the entire dark crypt.

Rushed footsteps. Ragged breaths. Two bodies cramming up against the wall, groping frantically around for what appeared to be a door.

"Hurry up! They're coming!" Came the girl's anguished command, as she anxiously swooshed her head in all directions, hearing the guards' voices coming closer.

"I'm trying here!" The boy answered from her side, while searching despondently for a way to open the shut stone door. "I'd appreciate it if you did something other than whining, Reyna!" He added as a disgruntled afterthought, his gleaming green eyes sweeping towards her dark form briefly, then returning to the task at hand.

"Oh just shut up and hurry, will ya!" Reyna hissed back in annoyance, all the time clutching her notorious "Razor gun" close to her chest, preparing to throw a spiked bullet at any guard who happened to appear.

"There they are, sir! On the right side!" a shout of a guard was finally heard. Reyna and her companion's eyes widened ominously as they heard the footsteps of their persecutors becoming louder.

"Zorgi…" Reyna murmured in a warning tone towards her companion, not forgetting to raise her weapon and aim at the guard who was approaching them fastest of all.

"Just a minute! I have to break the friggin' code…"

"Zorgi…" Reyna repeated a bit more forcefully this time, her short auburn hair flowing freely around her head and her sparkling blue eys gleaming in annoyance "We don't have a minute…"

"HIYAAAA!" Yelled the guard who was now two steps from crashing into Reyna. It was now or never. She had to fire or be shot. It was kill or be killed.

"ZORGIII!" She screamed the last desperate call, hoping against all odds that he might have managed something at the last second. She was not prepared for the answer.

"Got it!"

And just like that, she was pulled roughly to the left, shoved through a particularly narrow door and disorientated thoroughly.

"What the heck…" she started saying, only managing to catch a glimpse of faded blonde hair and green eyes, as Zorgi fought to shut the now half open door on the guard's face.

"Don't let them get away!" a harsh command was heard from someone of the guards. Seeing as Zorgi was having a relatively hard time pushing the door closed while shoving the guards outside, Reyna decided it really was time for her to do something other than whine.

She threw herself viciously against the door and pushed with all her might. Her strength along with Zorgi' s was apparently enough to restrain the guards, if the shrill cry that was heard soon after was any indication.

The heavy stone door finally shut, and then…silence. From all that mayhem, suddenly Zorgi and Reyna found themselves in complete stillness. Naturally, Zorgi' s action-loving nature could not endure piece and quiet for long- he had to make a riot wherever he went.

"Man, did you see how I shut that door at his face?" he bragged on hautily. Reyna sighed and glanced at her surroundings while he continued with the familiar rant.

"…And the way I broke that code on the door! Man, that was sweet! Not even the king of hackers could have done it so fast! Tell you what, though, that code was downright ironclad…why would they have such an ultra-lock in the entrance of a place as sorry as this? What could they be hiding…?" he wandered airily, as he unconsciously ran a hand through his tousled blond hair.

"Maybe this." Reyna stoically stated, as she pointed at something in the middle of the room- something her carefree companion had surely not taken the time to notice.

Zorgi' s eyes widened considerably as he stared at it. Not very tall, not very short- it reached the level of his waist. It looked more like a huge golden box, with various meticulous inscriptions on the sides, the meaning of which neither of the two friends understood.

Zorgi swallowed dryly and followed Reyna half-heartedly as she carefully stepped closer to the golden box. Only then did the boy notice that there were golden inscriptions all around them- carved on the stonewalls. Tall, slim torches hung around the golden box, accentuating beautifully the shape of a star, which was carved in the middle of the box's surface.

"Cool…" Zorgi simply commented, not really understanding what the thing was "Looks kinda like a casket though, don't you think, Reyna?"

Reyna visibly rolled her eyes and shook her head in exasperation "That's because it IS a coffin, you idiot! Where were you at history class, genius? Don't you remember when we talked about ancient civilizations? This is an ancient Egyptian sarcophagus!"

Zorgi grinned in a goofy way and ran a hand through his hair again, only this time uncomfortably. "Oh…uh…cool…so, uh, what's a sacro…saroc…"

Reyna rolled her eyes yet again as she dared touch the soft shining surface of the golden coffer in fascination. "Sarcophagus. It was a special kind of coffer the ancient Egyptians used in order to place their dead, after they removed their inner organs- brain included- and place these body parts in sacred jars."

Zorgi had worn an expression of disgust to say the least. "Uhh…what can I say…fascinating." He threw a nervous glance at Reyna, only to realize she really was fascinated. "Uhh…can we get the heck out of here now? This place is giving me the creeps…" he commented while trying to shake off the sudden feeling of unease that had consumed him.

"What are you talking about? And leave this unexplored? This must be a great secret of the Fuhrer…maybe we can reveal a secret plot or something…Besides, there's no where to go, remember? We're trapped in here, for now, so we might as well make the best of it and check this out!"

Zorgi was looking at her as if she'd grown a second head "'Check it out?' Reyna have you turned completely bonkers? What is there to 'check out'? There's just a coffin, and…and most probably a corpse and…and some organs in jars…and…ewww, I get the creeps just thinking about it! Let's just hurry and find a way out of here!" the boy insisted, grabbing the girl's hand and attempting to drag her away from the golden coffin. Unsurprisingly, she wouldn't budge.

"SHHHH!" she silenced him in an alerted manner, as she pointed at the golden star encrypted in the middle of the sarcophagus. "Look! There's something written here! It's in our language…I think I can read it!" she cried in delirious excitement. Once again, Zorgi tried to reason with her, tried to make her see the light…but to no avail.

"Oh, COME ON, Reyna! When we can live back to the surface, I'll buy you a book if you like this so much! Let's just hurry with our escape route, already!"

It was then that Reyna gave him one of those looks. Not really a puppy eye-look, but not really a glare either. The one thing that made this look special in comparison to Reyna's other random glares, was that it displayed emotion- a thing Reyna rarely, if ever, showed. And Zorgi could now see it, written bold and clear in her eyes, that for some ludicrous reason, she wanted to occupy herself with that god-forsaken Egyptian box.

Zorgi huffed and puffed and blew his fringe out of his face "Fine! Fine! Just- Just, read it already- see what happens! Great! Now we get to interpret Egyptian gizmos too- as If we didn't have enough problems as it is! Oh, great…this is-this is just great…this is perfect… what am I gonna tell Lend, huh? Oh…sorry we didn't get the information, we were catching up with Reyna's freakin' EGYPTIAN SKILLS!"

And as Zorgi was going on and on about the importance of their mission and the unimportance of the sarcophagus, Reyna whispered what she thought she could mysteriously read on the sarcophagus.

"Sha…Shashta…Bakura…Shashta Bakura…Yup! That's it!" She beamed proudly.

Zorgi sighed "Happy now? Can we please get on with it now that you're satisfied?"

But their mission was not meant to be completed that day. At least that's what the creaking sound coming from the sarcophagus probably meant.

Zorgi froze dead in his tracks towards Reyna. As for the girl, she paled considerably and her breathing turned harsh and rapid.

"Oh…Oh my God…" Zorgi whispered in morbid pallor, as he heard the occult sound of chains rubbing against stone floors intensify around him. Suddenly, he wasn't the cheerful teenager anymore…he was the warrior-rebel again- serious and stoic.

"What…what have you done…?" he asked in alert.

Reyna looked hoarse and desperate. She turned around and watched the tomb intently, looking for some kind of…freaky sign. "I…I don't know…"

Zorgi grabbed her arm and forced her to face him "What the heck did those words mean…?"

Reyna's eyes were wide and dilated as they gazed into his "I…I don't know Zorgi…I don't know what they meant…I just read them…"

And then it came: the disgusting, blood-curling sound of old gold slipping noisily against gold. The cover of the sarcophagus was moving in that slow, unearthly, bone-shattering way…and all Reyna and Zorgi could do was watch.

The boy pulled his friend close, wrapping a protective arm around her and taking a step back. As for Reyna, she was too shocked to even remember the only means of defense in case of emergency- her Razor Gun- since she was too terrified to think.

They couldn't run! They couldn't go back to the guards that were chasing them! If they ran for it, they would die! But if they stayed in there and watched till the bitter end…what would come out of that coffin?

The logical answer would be…a corpse….Right?

"AHH!" Reyna most uncharacteristically screamed, as she distinguished the very real and very alive outline of a skeleton hand coming to rest on the side of the coffer.

Zorgi swallowed dryly, fighting to keep his temperature down for the sake of his horrified friend, who needed all the reassurance and comfort she could get at that moment. "This isn't real, Reyna…Don't be afraid…This isn't real…This can't be real…This is a hallucination…What you are seeing does not exist…It's another one of the Fuhrer's tricks, you'll see…it can't hurt you…it…holy shit!"

That was the conclusion of Zorgi' s attempt in courage and self-assurance, when he heard the unmistakable rattling sound of bones clattering against other bones. Consequently, all brave thoughts left him, to make way for sheer horror. He saw the skeleton hand move, and soon he was granted a full gory view of the creature's head, as the thing sat up in its grave.

Half skeleton and half disintegrating. There was no blood, really, but there was still that disgusting sense of molding, rotting flesh- complete with worms, germs and other parasitic organisms, which ate at the zombie flesh. Two hollow crevaces as eyes, with slugs trailing around them morbidly. And the lower jaw, that still had some flesh clinging onto it, was hollow and thin with lines of skeletal structure.

As for the corpse's teeth and other facial features…well, needless to say they weren't very attractive.

Zorgi' s breath caught in his throat, as he was offered the full view Reyna was trying so frantically not to see. As the skeletal zombie slowly and unnaturally turned its head toward him, Zorgi waged a logical bet with himself that it had no eyes and therefore could not see. Apparently that was not the case.

It stretched its hand suddenly towards him, and he took a few steps back, pulling Reyna along with him, while she squealed pathetically. When he saw that disgusting thing stand up from its golden prison and reveal its bony, ragged, overall unbelievably terrifying legs, he really did feel the need to vomit.

But that was nothing compared to the feeling that came next- a sense of pure helplessness, as the skeleton climbed out of its cage and took a shaky step toward him with its hand outstretched.

Zorgi and Reyna, who was now reduced to a screaming mess, looked around frantically, trying to find a place to hide from the non existent eyes, that were ever so watchful…Nowhere to go…Nowhere to hide…the _thing_ was coming…crawling, gripping, clutching, coming…it was coming…coming for them…

"This is not real…this is not real…" Zorgi repeated his unhelpful mantra, and gasped when he sensed his back hitting the wall- dead end. He clutched unconsciously at his friend, praying to any god he had ever known…hoping…wishing…

The thing had brought its hand a few inches from the boy's nose. Zorgi distastefully caught the vile smell of death and rot, and involuntarily noticed the long, claw-like, curiously not yet disintegrated nail that the beast's index finger had.

"Get away from me, devil! There is nothing you want here….nothing!" he repeated a phrase he had heard a priest say once and thought might be appropriate. To his mild surprise, he saw the hand which was pointed at him pull back and form a strong fist. That was when he knew, even though he could see no expression or facial features, that the creature was frustrated. That was probably when he started considering, shyly at first and more boldly later, that the creature's reactions didn't seem quite so godly or demon-like, as it did human.

Human reactions…human…movements…

Just then, it bent dangerously over the two friends, making Reyna snivel pathetically and Zorgi cower back in plain and obvious fear. The sickening smell was suffocating at this distance, and the level of nausea was also climbing in dangerous levels in the two friends' bodies.

And then, to Zorgi' s uttermost astonishment- Reyna was too horrified to notice- the creature spoke. It wasn't exactly a voice…it was more of a low growl…or the sound of an animal being slaughtered…or something as squealing and simultaneously deep and heart-shattering as that. Only one thing was for sure: it was not a voice produced by voice chords.

"Shahai dnama hira me? (Was it you who woke me?) the thing growled somewhat menacingly, making the boy shake and shiver. Needless to say Zorgi could not understand a bloody thing out of what the undead was telling him. He tried to make an expression of confusion, mixed, of course, with fear, so as to get his point through.

The skeleton seemed to withdraw slightly and stand there for a second. Then, it raised its hand and seemed to observe its own fingers thoroughly with its non-existent eyes. Old, torn bandages hung loosely from the dusty bones and germs moved around, eating what little of the rotting flesh remained.

"Ahh…mihaya seki kumana…" (Ahh…I understand your problem…)

And with those strange words, the zombie swept around and made two curiously agile strides towards its sarcophagus. The next few instants were somewhat confusing for the two friends, as they saw the thing slide the side of the sarcophagus away from the box, and reveal a small cupboard…A cupboard which contained, to Zorgi' s uttermost dismay, six marble jars. The canopic jars. The notorious sacred jars in which ancient Egyptians locked a corpse's vital organs…

Zorgi didn't even want to think about the possibilities…Maybe that thing was planning to disembowel him and lock his guts in those jars for later use…the mere thought made him shiver.

But the next few actions of the walking skeleton confused him further. It grabbed one jar and swept around the room as though observing the glyphs on the walls. Reyna was finally starting to gain some courage and idly settled on watching the fuzzy white remains of hair flow around the skeleton's head. How…disgusting.

With the same unnaturally fast movements, the undead had reached a specific section of the wall, which featured symbols of birds and suns and seas…The skeleton took hold of the golden lid of the canopic jar it was holding. Finally, it took the lid off and clenched it in its bony fist. And then, before Zorgi and Reyna knew what was happening, the walking carcass threw the contnets of the marble vase on the glyphs.

Zorgi didn't really know if he should be surprised when he saw the glyphs glowing, suddenly. Actually, he was surprised at himself for being able to feel surprise about anything at all, after what he'd recently witnessed.

Nothing could surprise him anymore. Not even the fact that those shining glyphs were somehow doing something to the skeleton, making it glow all over and lifting into the air. Rusty muscles and bloody organs started to reconstruct in its body, as it cried sudden howls of pain. The whole process had to be repeated six times- one for each sacred jar. And with each of those jars, the corpse turned more and more alive. Zorgi didn't really know if he should be happy or even more terrified. The creature seemed to be growing a lot stronger…more dangerous.

Organic tissues rippled through the rotten bones, blood surged into recently empty veins and glowing porcelain skin covered the once dead body. By the fifth jar, Zorgi and Reyna could actually distinguish facial features, and with the sixth jar, they could finally witness the person's rebirth.

The hollow blank spaces that were once his eyes suddenly started to glow, and flaming balls wreathed in pumping veins replaced them- his eyes. Thin layers were pulled over the newly reconstructed organs so as to curtain them from the light- eyelids. And then, the more refined elements of human nature were accentuated: his lips, the curves of his shoulders, the shape of his ears and nose, his long, curved nails…and last of all, his wonderful hair. It was ebony black and looked positively silky to the touch and robust with health. It cascaded freely down his soft skinned pale back, only to rest a little above his waist.

Suddenly, it wasn't a thing anymore…'It' was human- a man. Something far more human and natural that either teen had seen in a long time. Strange, they thought, that mere moments ago this sublime being seemed like a nemesis to their sins.

His eyes remained closed as he allowed the magic of the glyphs to set him back to the ground, after his transformation. The soft glow faded away from his body, leaving only a very pale, thin and beautiful young man in its place.

He grinned slightly, it was inevitable that he felt reborn. Slowly, he lifted his hand to the level of his face, and opened his eyes.

Something deep in Reyna's heart exploded, as she looked into his eyes for the first time. Not brown or blue or green…unlike anything she'd ever seen before…They were red. Demonic red. Sultry, blood red.

And it was strange, that this explosive combination of features had such an immediate effect on her. Black ebony hair, strong jaw, soft porcelain skin and red eyes…it was…breathtaking- absolutely exotic and spicy.

Zorgi seemed to be having different thoughts as he observed the stranger. The black haired, tall man grinned as he observed his hand in the same manner he had done a while ago, when he still had the form of a carcass.. He was obviously satisfied with the difference from before.

"Umm…Zorgi…" was heard a sudden strangely shy voice form his right "Don't you think we should give him a…a cloth to…to cover himself up or…uh…something…?"

She was blushing quite hard by now while looking at the floor, and Zorgi mentally noted he was going to get a good laugh because of this later on. Feminist, strong, decisive Reyna blushing…HA! Wait till the others heard about THAT! She'd never hear the end of it!

Luckily for Reyna, however, the ancient stranger seemed to think the same thing, seeing as he took hold of a black cloth, which was hanging form a nearby torch. The two friends watched him tie the tunic around his waist so that it reached his knees. When he was finished, he promptly turned his freezing, haunted eyes towards the boy.

"Nahlame rehta unaa Mariku…poreesa htaro, niaha" (I must find Mariku…tell me where he is, mortal) he demanded suddenly, piercing holes through the unknowing boy's head the whole time.

Zorgi and Reyna stood there frozen, not knowing quite how to react apart from just standing in place and keeping quiet. The ancient sighed finally, probably realizing the others did not understand what he was saying.

"Shinra saho noke" (Give me your knowledge) he simply said, obviously ignoring the terrified faces, which were staring up at him when he started moving towards them.

Maybe he didn't mean to move so predatorily, or maybe he did it on purpose…no matter what though, his red eyes certainly had a dose of danger in them, and the two companions felt profusely threatened by it.

He gave the two of them no time to react, however, since he close down on them with lightning speed. Zorgi vaguely noted that there was something wrong about the unnatural speed and agility with which he moved…but then again, many things were wrong about him.

He practically pounced on the person closest to him- Reyna. Zorgi made a move as though to protect her, but the ancient was already standing in front of her when the boy tried to move. And then, in a heartbeat, the black haired man had placed both hands on each of the girl's temples.

The black haired man's hands started to glow slightly, signifying it was something to do with that ancient hocus pocus. As for Reyna, she seemed to be in a trance-like state- as though sleeping…a state mimicked by the ancient at that moment- as though he was listening to something intently.

"Stop it! What are you doing to her!" Zorgi frantically shouted, not daring to interrupt the ancient, for fear of hurting his own friend, instead. After a few moments, a wave of relief washed over him, since the strange man finally released his friend.

Reyna shook her head slightly, as if to wake up after a long slumber. Zorgi gathered her in his arms and fearlessly glared at the taller man, who seemed to be frowning off into the distance. The boy was trying to see if Reyna was okay, when he heard the ancient speak yet again. His voice was now soothed and placated, but also a little gruff- much like the man's evident nature.

"Curious language this one…" was heard the immaculate English tone- slightly accented, but more from inaptitude of tongue rather than lack of knowledge. "Too few words for too many meanings…uninteresting." The man commented, turning his eyes towards the two friends and granting Zorgi an obvious frown- if not a downright scorning gaze.

"Now where is Mariku?" the suddenly frosty tone hit Zorgi. The glare was accompanied by a very accentuated threatening forward step, which the boy tried to avoid via evasive manouvres. Needless to say…he failed, and was found with his back to the wall once again.

"I…I have no idea what you're talking about…what…what are you?" was asked the question that had been burning his tongue this whole time, pleading to be asked.

The ancient grinned, and if Zorgi didn't know better, he'd say it was absolutely satanic.

"I am what I am. What are you, mortal?" the cold tone hit him again.

Zorgi looked away…oh-oh…that word 'mortal'…that signified he was somehow inferior, didn't it? That was bad…really bad…

"I…I'm Zorgi…and this is my best friend Reyna…." Zorgi stuttered as he felt his heart clench and unclench painfully in his ribcage.

The handsome ancient sneered in that evil way once more "Interesting…Call me Bakura. That is who I am…"

Reyna suddenly piped up, as though reminiscing suddenly "Shashta….Bakura. Isn't that what the inscription said?" she wondered to herself.

Immediately, a fierce hiss was heard, and Reyna was pinned to the wall by the neck. Piercing red eyes bore into her consciousness, making her lose face.

"Don't …say…that…." Bakura venomously whispered, making it perfectly clear that there would be lots of pain for the next one who spoke those two words. Finally, he let go of the blue-eyed girl, ignoring the pleading look she gave him and focusing totally on the boy.

"Tell me where Marik is. Now." He demanded quite clearly, making Zorgi tremble inwardly.

"I…I don't know who 'Marik' is…honestly, I swear I don't…"

Bakura looked positively murderous, his red eyes taking an even deeper, more dangerous shade of brutal fire. His outburst of rage was only prevented by Reyna's next words.

"What did you do to me…before…? It feels weird…" she commented lightly, earning a disinterested half-nod form Bakura.

"Since I am back to full power, I used my powers to gather information from your brain. I learned English through you…that's it."

Reyna nodded slowly, not daring to look at the beautiful man straight in the eye "Oh…" she simply acknowledged. Bakura seemed to lose interest in her immediately.

"Have you seen another tomb- one similar to mine?" he questioned somewhat urgently, his eyes taking on a new color- a color of bruised whine red…one that signified worry.

Zorgi was glad that the ancient seemed to have accepted the fact that he didn't know who or where 'Marik' was. Unfortunately for Bakura, though, identical shaking of heads showed that neither boy nor girl had seen another sarcophagus. Nevertheless…

"Hey…but there's that door over there on the left side of this room…We never got the chance to go there since Reyna wanted to brush up on her Egyptology…" Zorgi lamely commented.

Bakura seemed to snap in alert at the mere mentioning of the possibility, his eyes glowing strangely.

"Follow me." He ordered regally, taking his queue and using his customary agile, feline movements to approach the door. When he reached it, he grinned in that same evil, haughty kind of way and placed his palm on the metallic surface. After a moment, a satisfying click was heard. The lock was open.

Effortlessly pushing the door open, Bakura entered the other room with no fear whatsoever. This general attitude of his came to great opposition with Reyna and Zorgi' s behaviors, which seemed to be constantly evolving from frightened to more frightened. Bakura didn't even bother with reasoning with them. They were afraid of him, so why bother?

Despite his fear and anxiety, however, Zorgi did manage to notice something. He noticed Bakura's eyes when they spotted the new sarcophagus in the new room…and they were shining with obvious excitement. He idly wondered who this 'Marik' person was, with the power to get Bakura so worked up over things…Bakura seemed especially soft on that matter, actually…suspiciously soft…

Bakura once again completely ignored Reyna and Zorgi and glided to the golden sarcophagus. He murmured a few words that the others didn't quite manage to catch, and then bent down to stroke the golden surface somewhat wistfully.

Unfortunately for Reyna and Zorgi, the dire fate of that day had not yet been completed. They were cursed to witness yet another rebirth of the dead for that day…Naturally, they weren't exactly prepared for watching another corpse stand up and walk, at the moment, so it did come as a little shock when Bakura simply said, in an exultant tone: "Shasta Mariku"

"Oops…this is not good…" Zorgi commented, as he felt a slight tremor hit the earth beneath his feet.

"Not again…" Reyna unhappily wailed, as she latched onto her friend's arm and prepared to watch yet another disgusting zombie sequence. In opposition to both friends, Bakura had stood up next to the coffin and seemed to stare at it with sparkling fiery eyes.

It was as though the disgusting creaking sounds of death did not frighten him…on the contrary, he seemed quite satisfied.

The by now familiar sound of the tombstone slipping away from the sarcophagus was heard. Yet another skeletal hand made its disgusting, slithering appearance. Only this time…it did not come alone.

Something like a glowing, golden river seemed to crawl out of the coffin along with the hand. The strange hissing sounds and the patterns in which the slithering river moved, proved it was not at all a river…it was actually…

"A serpent! A snake made of light!" Reyna commented, aghast. It was thick and seemed absolutely healthy- a complete opposite to the dead, bony hand that had brought it to the world.

"Mariku…" came the impossibly softened voice, as Bakura approached the grave. He stood on the side and fearlessly took the disgusting hand in his own. The two friends fought their nausea, as they saw Bakura actually pull the corpse up via its outstretched hand.

And up came the second, disgusting, zombie-like walking skeleton of the day.

And worst of all, Bakura didn't seem at all unfazed by it. He was rather deliriously exultant.

"How can he…TOUCH that thing?" Reyna whispered fleetingly in her friend's ear, only to earn a shrug, which clearly said 'I don't really wanna know'.

Back to the action at hand, Bakura helped his zombie friend stand up and climb out of its grave. The tall, black haired man led the other ancient a few steps further and turned to fully face the monster. His eyes mirrored absolute, utter adoration. He touched naught but a single bony hand, making Zorgi wonder how he could stand the smell and feel of mold beneath his fingers. Then again, it really wasn't his place to judge.

The glowing serpent, which seemed so robust and lithe in comparison to its zombie master, had somehow managed to slither around Bakura's leg, beneath his black tunic and over his chest. Now it was slowly sliding around his outstretched hand, moving as though caressing the black haired man's body, as if doing every thing its master could not.

The serpent slowly slipped from Bakura to his zombie friend, as it slithered round their holding hands, and back around its master's shoulders.

And then, much to the others' dismay, started a conversation from which they couldn't understand anything, and in which it was only Bakura who spoke, since their zombie friend could not, for one reason or another, speak.

"Shihali mara kunaha…" (It's been so long…) Bakura started with his luscious gaze fixed on the other's blank skull of a head. The skeleton nodded slowly and seemed to move its fingers slightly in order to caress Bakura. Soon, the snake slithered once again through their adjoined hands from one body to the other. It started circling Bakura's torso slowly, sensually…probably doing what its master had sent it to do…

"Narima unna hueini, hareeta kekoome…hokomere" (They stole everything from us, our lives…each other…) The skeleton obviously fisted its free hand at the mentioning of the new, unknown words.

"Kehame…thaoi hira kehame…marama shakra undar, oteni hunaaka" (We will kill, if we have to…we will do what we were afraid to do before…If they threaten you, I swear I will kill them…)

Resolved words and red eyes to go with them…as for the skeleton…just silent apprehension.

"Mera hau suhu" (I want to see you) came Bakura's sudden confession " Himara krau suhu" (I want to feel you)…

And with that, the skeleton suddenly pulled its hand away from Bakura's tender grasp and nodded in understanding. The snake instantly rushed to leave the handsome man's body, in order to return to its master's shoulder.

At first, Reyna and Zorgi thought the two ancients had gotten in a fight because of their sudden movements, but soon they realized that the skeleton was bent over its sarcophagus, searching for its canopic jars. Bakura tried to lend a helping hand. He moved the golden cover, so that the canopic jars were revealed. The skeleton grabbed one of them and looked around, obviously searching for the glyphs that would help transform him in the same way Bakura's glyphs transformed him…

Bakura froze. Zorgi blinked. Reyna gasped.

The skeleton backstepped.

Naturally, Bakura's first reaction was one of reassurance. "Sekara narkata pooraketa" (Don't worry. They're here somewhere) he said, more to himself than to his friend. The room was small, however, and none of its walls had glyphs drawn across it. Not only that, but there were no passageways to other rooms. The rooms were only two. One for each person…so why weren't the glyphs were they were supposed to be?

The jars were here, the mummy was here…where were the glyphs?

The skeleton that Bakura seemed to be so fond of visibly crumbled to the floor, falling on its frail knees and very nearly crashing the canopic jar it was holding. The skeleton placed down the marble vase and took its naked cranium in both bony hands.

Zorgi had a feeling that if that skeleton could speak, it would be screaming and if it could shed tears, it would be crying. Its snake was currently tangled in its legs, having lost all glow and royal charm. Now it was wiggling like mad- like a dying fish.

Bakura seemed alerted to say the least by this turn of events. The psychological state of his friend, however, seemed to occupy him much more than any other problem.

"Mariku!" He yelled, as he ran to the despondent form and tried to comfort it in the best way he could while touching it as little as possible. After all, how could he take in his arms…a corpse?

And that thought seemed to make the poor skeleton even more desperate. If it remained like that forever…then…

He wouldn't even be able to speak…to tell Bakura how much…

"Mariku, deraken! Ptarna okti!" (Marik, don't give up, we'll find them!) Bakura comforted lovingly. And then, with absolute ire, he turned towards his usual scapegoat.

"YOU! Were are the glyphs? Tell me now!" Bakura roared at Zorgi, shaking the boy completely out of his wits and scaring the living daylights out of Reyna.

"I…I don't know…." Zorgi simply answered, not quite registering how Bakura managed to pin him to the wall soon after, and bring his face suffocatingly close to his. A sad flashback from before, when Bakura was a zombie, came back, making Zorgi nauseous.

" I. NEED. THOSE. GLYPHS." Bakura simply stated in a tone, which didn't exactly leave many options to the other.

"Why can't you just use the same glyphs as before?" Reyna simply proposed, making Bakura growl.

"It's no use" the ancient barked in frustration, making the zombie from nearby rush close to him in an attempt to calm him "We need HIS glyphs! We have different powers, so we have different seals…"

In a rare flash of intelligence, Zorgi acknowledged that he was in the advantaged position here, which meant he could blackmail Bakura into doing something for him in return for those glyphs…

"Look" Zorgi started weakly, snapping his eyes briefly towards Reyna and the Marik skeleton, seeing they were both turned towards him. "I don't know where your glyphs are, but I can find out their exact location form the base, so, if you help us get out of here we'll get you your glyphs…" Zorgi was elated by his incomparably witty trail of thought, or so he believed.

When he saw, however, the downright murderous glare Bakura was giving him, he started considering taking his statement back. After all, he did value his life. Just then, when he was about to change the terms of the deal, Bakura spoke.

"If you try to use me, you will pay. Do not forget you are a mortal, and we are undead."

Zorgi gulped involuntarily, followed by his best friend. They both noticed the stress on 'we'…it wasn't just Bakura any more…now it was zombie Marik AND Bakura…and Bakura really liked making that painfully obvious, as it seemed.

"Hushta pare tayalia, Mariku…dakra taafat" (Take the jars with you, Mariku…we're leaving.) Bakura simply said, and spooky Marik immediately did as he was told. He grabbed a nearby cloth, which hung from a curtain, and assembled the sacred jars in a bundle. Bakura took the bundle and tested its weight. He nodded in silent acknowledgement- he would carry it.

"Oi, you!" the black haired youth shouted at Reyna's direction. Upon being addressed, even indirectly, the girl turned around briskly.

"Yeees?" she asked a little too sweetly, hoping against all female romantic odds, that Bakura had something to tell her…

"Give Marik your gloves…his hands may attract attention." Bakura finished, leaving the girl to fume in white hot ire at being scorned in comparison to Marik!

Just then, she noticed Bakura ripping another purple piece of curtain. This one was wide enough to create a robe suitable for covering Marik's body….in this case, however, it would be more of a shroud than it would be a robe…

Bakura lovingly wrapped the cloth around the skeleton's body, giving it a slightly more concrete look. Marik's form didn't cease, however, to look skinny and overall disturbing. Reyna's black leather gloves were worn by the zombie, and the girl made a mental note never to wear those gloves AGAIN!

The golden snake, now once more shining and healthy, slipped around Marik's shoulders, playing with his robe.

Bakura took Marik's hand in his own, ignoring the fact that though the gloves gave the vision of a normal hand, the touch actually betrayed its bony structure.

"Great!" Zorgi nastily murmured "It's not as if we had enough problems with the Fuhrer and the revolution, already…Now we have an ancient vampire/zombie and his zombie girlfriend! And don't try to say Marik isn't his woman, coz you know she is…"

At the painful feeling of jealousy, Reyna shut her ears to more pleasant thoughts. But…could it be true…Was Marik Bakura's love? Oh that Marik…what more did she have than Reyna? Marik was a walking corpse, while she was a healthy young woman…Reyna turned back to check on Bakura.

As always…whispering ancient, unknown words to the unseen face which now hid behind the darkness of a purple cloak…as always…Bakura seemed to only have eyes for one person…

And that snake…the way that snake moved, up and down Bakura's body…it seemed familiar with him- it seemed to know his body… where he liked to be touched. What was that snake exactly? And right now, when Bakura was whispering in Marik's unseen ear, why did that snake swing from one body to the other? What did that action mean?

Zorgi, luckily, had other thoughts in his mind…like how he would explain to Lend the presence of two zombies in their bivouac…that is, if they ever got to their bivouac…Bakura was not to be entirely trusted…at least not yet…

And so they walked, a boy, a girl, a beautiful youngster, and a cloaked, thin figure…where would this journey lead, no one knew…

Bakura, however, knew one thing.

"Shakara manna yataha ra…toplasma su meni" (We'll take back the life they stole from us…a love for me and you)

TBC

**PLZ review guys! I wanna know what you think! The next chapter will come soon! PLZ review!**


	2. Need

"Stand back!" Bakura ordered in his usual regal manner while motioning a threatening hand to add to the effect.

Zorgi and Reyna both took a step backwards at Bakura's aggravated expression. Zorgi glanced briefly at his female friend and noticed a suspicious lack of her usual stoic frown. 'Hmpf!' Zorgi thought in amusement 'Guess now that she's met somebody who really is hard-cored, she's not that tough, huh…?' Zorgi grinned contently.

"What are you going to do, Bakura?" Zorgi impatiently asked.

"You'll see…" the man answered mysteriously. Then, he bent back towards the door and ran his hands over its lean surface, as though searching for something in particular.

Reyna, on the other hand, was too preoccupied staring at Bakura's impressive form. Her eyes had become half-lidded, and she seemed to be in a state of daydreaming as she stared at the man's long black mane, wondering if it really was as soft as it looked. Since Bakura had turned his back on her and was apparently preparing to do something to the door which would get them out of there, Reyna unconsciously stretched her hand, as if to touch Bakura's lovely skin, not really registering what she was doing.

A sudden hiss was heard out of the blue, and Reyna nearly jumped out of her skin. Immediately, she abandoned her attempt to touch the handsome man and turned in alert towards the direction of the sound.

She bit back a scream.

Shit.

Marik…

Marik's snake, rather…It was glaring at her right now, bending over Marik's robe-covered shoulder precariously, ready to pounce on her at any moment, Its mouth was wide open, granting her a full display of its two long, probably poisonous teeth, which sank softly in its wobbly flesh. And look…how strange…it had purple eyes.

More like lavender, actually. If a crystal the color of lavender existed, those eyes would be it. And what a great contrast they made to the snake's golden glowing skin…

She was harshly brought back to reality when another hiss echoed around her. Though Marik's disgusting face was hidden by the hood, Reyna knew it would probably be glaring at her, if it had eyes.

Suddenly, she felt something cold penetrate her senses, and a dead feeling of dread entered her mind. The thing was touching her. Marik's hand, which was clad by her own gloves, had tightened painfully around the wrist of her left hand- the hand that was slightly stretched towards Bakura's form.

The zombie pulled her hand away, its vice-like grip on her hand never faltering.

"Ah-ah…you're…you're hurting me…" she sniveled pathetically, not remembering the fact that the creature could not understand her, no matter what she said. The snake hissed louder, making Zorgi and Bakura finally turn their way. Reyna was entranced, looking into those somewhat eerie, overall creepy crystal eyes, with black slits as their chaotic pupils.

And finally, she got the message.

'_Stay away from him.'_

As Reyna meekly nodded to the scrutinizing lavender eyes, Zorgi came rushing next to her, taking hold of Marik's forearm with a disgusted face and trying to pry it off Reyna.

"Klamdaare Mariku...?" (Is something wrong, Mariku?) Bakura demanded in definite alert, as he abandoned his task with the door and approached the commotion.

At his approach, the snake's eyes finally left Reyna and turned towards him, definitely taking on a different shade. Immediately, as though one with the animal's conscience, Marik let go of the girl's hand in disinterest and walked past her towards Bakura idly, as though nothing had happened whatsoever.

As the hooded and faceless corpse moved away from her, she saw that cursed snake look at her with its pointed glare for one last time, before it slithered around Marik's body and never turned back again. Bakura stretched his hand for the zombie, and Marik immediately took it, following the other back to the door.

Reyna tried to avoid Zorgi' s curious gaze and reverted her eyes to her bruised hand. What was that all about, anyway?

"Bakura, you better be careful! When you open that door, a hundred and more guards will come rushing in!" Zorgi warned, cautiously observing Bakura's mannerisms at touching the door. Marik was nearby, quiet as always, watching…

"Do not hesitate, mortal." Bakura answered in a bored fashion "You will not die."

Zorgi smirked a little and rubbed the back of his head with one hand "Well, yes…I was a bit worried about that, actually…"

Bakura turned and looked at him in disapproval of his goofy manners, then turned back to the door.

A click was heard, making Bakura grin. The lock was free.

Not even caring to warn or prepare the others for what he was about to do, Bakura slowly pushed the door open, being careful not to make a single sound throughout the whole process. Too bad that this didn't prevent forty inquisitive pairs of guards' eyes from spotting him.

"Oh shit" Zorgi had the wit to say, as the four of them and the guards simply looked at each other, dumbly. Predictably, Bakura didn't seem at all perturbed. He seemed to be enjoying himself immensely, actually.

"GET THEEEM!" a roar was heard from somewhere in the back, by whom Zorgi assumed was the general. Bakura's grin grew impossibly wider as he saw the dozens of guards run towards him in attack.

And then, things started happening a bit too fast for any normal human being to follow. One minute Bakura was there, and the other he wasn't. Zorgi finally understood- the unnatural agility and speed Bakura had was part of his weird powers.

And now part of those powers was at full display, shining bright as Bakura's body was seen swooshing around in a vortex of what looked awfully like red sand.

Blood splattered in the narrow corridor walls as the massacre begun. Although Bakura didn't kill when he wasn't threatened and didn't attack when he wasn't attacked, he seemed to be a true lover of carnage where he could find it.

He killed his victims in imaginative ways, slaughtering them with his bare hands, proving to the world how monstrous and not really human he was. He was no mere mortal- a wolf amongst sheep…For lack of any better term, Bakura seemed overall angry, and ready to kill and destroy whatever threatened him, even remotely so. Something terrible must have happened to him in his life, in order to make him so…heartless.

But then again, he wasn't really heartless- no, not _really_. The way he spoke to that walking Marik zombie proved otherwise. That Marik woman must have been the greatest love Bakura had experienced in his life…

When enough foolhardy men had died, the other guards finally took the hint and started to retreat, probably believing that if they came back reinforced, they would manage to bring an immortal down. No, wait… Two. Two immortals.

When Bakura had finally managed to make most guards retreat, he turned towards his companions.

"Keep Marik safe!" he ordered harshly, his eyes showing off the level of protectiveness he felt about his friend. Unfortunately, however, since Bakura had turned his back to the fight, he never got a chance to see the remaining guard trying to sneak up on him from behind.

With lightning speed, Marik pulled off the glove on his right hand, revealing his skeletal palm. And then, with one stark, swift, powerful strike, the zombie had pierced Bakura's attacker through the abdomen, plunging its entire forearm in the man's chest and forcing it to come out of his back.. The man gasped in shock with a look of sheer terror as he managed to take a good look at his murderer before he died. His murderer's face…was…

As Marik pulled his now red-painted skeleton away from the body, it came out with a rather important component of the poor man's system- his heart.

The guard would not be getting up. And as Zorgi and Reyna took some time to realize just how lucky they were to have relatively good relations with the two ancients, Bakura threw a rare gaze at Marik, dark and heavy with raw emotion that only a lover could interpret.

Marik had saved Bakura in an explosive torrent. Now that Marik's fierce, blind worry for his lover's well-being was placated, the zombie bent over the body of his victim and scrutinized it. Slowly, the zombie took hold of the white mask that the guard wore and pulled it off his face.

When Marik stood up again, his face was covered by a white mask.

'Well, at least she had the decency to spare us the sight of her face' Reyna begrudgingly thought, thinking of Marik as Bakura's ancient girlfriend.

Bakura grinned meaningfully at Marik's actions.

"Come, quickly!" He told the others, and motioned for them to move "Shiarahna mni, Mariku!" (Stay close to me, Marik!) he told his friend, and offered his hand particularly for the other to take. The immortals chose to be eccentric yet again and act like humans. Though they didn't really need to hurry, since they weren't even remotely afraid of their bloodthirsty persecutors, Bakura and Marik chose to make a run for it.

In fact, both of them seemed to act like normal people, apart from their occasional display of supernatural power and the disgusting appearances.

Thus, the group of four ran down the shallow crypt as fast as they could, with sounds of feet hitting the stone floor, or, in Marik's case, bones rattling noisily, echoing all around them.

"Mariku is weak! He is not yet at his full strength! We need some place to stay until we can find the glyphs!" Bakura shouted over their clashing feet, making Zorgi nod fleetingly at his statement and shout back.

"Yes, but Reyna and I haven't finished our mission yet! We can't go back to headquarters underground! We have to stay undetected here, on the surface of the planet!" Zorgi finished.

"Holy shit!" Reyna suddenly shouted, as she reflexively reached for her Razor Gun and hit a guard that was seen approaching between the eyes.

"Ouch." Zorgi commented "that's gotta hurt!"

"They're back! Come on, run faster!" Reyna urged, as she and Zorgi took off without second thought. Bakura, however stayed back and eyed Marik wearily. The robed figure was slightly bent in fatigue- he wasn't powerful enough yet, even physical exertion tired him…

"Shinra kreihat hubana…vadaat ptaI?" (It's close now…can you make it?) he asked in obvious worry, as he eyed the cloaked figure in comprehension. Marik's hooded head was seen nodding quickly, as he took hold of Bakura's hand with his own and urged the handsome man forward by taking a few steps.

"Yaha" (Good) Bakura simply said, as he took off right behind Marik, quickly catching up with the others.

"This is it, guys! The exit!" Zorgi exclaimed, as he pointed to what seemed like an arched stone at the end of the twisted corridor. "Push!" he ordered, and both he and Reyna pushed the gate open, earning a full view of the nightly starry sky.

"Elktra…Frangi cosuhaa…" (Beautiful…it's been so long…) Bakura murmured lightly, as Marik nodded at his words, the glowing snake slowly slipping from one body to the other via their adjoined hands.

"C'mon! No time for stargazing!" Zorgi reprimanded as he tugged on Bakura's hand, urging him forward "More guards are probably coming! We have to get away from here!"

Bakura nodded and quickly moved forward, pulling Marik with him.

"No! This way!" Reyna whispered as she moved around stealthily, her Razor Gun resting in her hand. She pointed towards a suspicious looking dark alcove at the base of what looked like an innocent mountain.

"Come on! Stay in the shadows!" Zorgi urged as he ducked and crawled towards the obvious hideout. Reyna followed his lead, and Bakura abode with the situation, dragging Marik along with him.

Once they were close enough for Zorgi to consider it safe standing up and walking out of the shadows, Reyna placed her gun back in its holster and sighed in relief. "Well, that was a close one." She commented lamely, while following Zorgi towards the alcove.

"Definitely. A bit too close, if y' ask me…' Zorgi' s voice trailed on as he continued his rant. Bakura and Marik lingered a bit, although they knew it was safer to follow the others…they weren't afraid for their lives, however…they were immortal now.

"Fajaat nushte raal…" (We'd better go inside…) Bakura needlessly reminded, as he watched Marik's expressionless white mask of a face. "Shimta ujur asu…" (Let's prepare for our search…)

At this, Marik nodded, and the two finally followed Zorgi and Reyna towards the dark alcove, around a labyrinth of dark, rocky corridors, down a few trapdoors and underground, into a small hideout, with a homey feeling about it that neither ancient had experienced in a long time.

"Well' Reyna started, blushing a bit and making Zorgi smirk "Since we don't have too much space…uh…well, we only have three small rooms, actually, so…I guess I'll, uh, just sleep in Zorgi's room, then…"

Although Reyna had a feeling Bakura and this Marik zombie-chick were more than just good friends, Reyna doubted Bakura would care to share a bed with his beloved right now, in the state she was in. In fact…that thought was downright disturbing…

"Oh, come on…don't try to hide it! I know you've been dying to sleep next to this sinfully hot booty for some time now!" Zorgi teased mercilessly, rubbing the wound in. He knew that there was someone else Reyna would be dying to share a bed with, but he dared not mention it, since he valued his life.

"In your dreams, playboy…" Reyna distastefully spat.

"Sorry, Reyna, but I'm not really into the Egyptology freak kind of chicks…" Zorgi commented idly, earning a glare from Reyna and a frown from Bakura. Marik was just expressionless, the only indication that he was even alive was his snake curling up around his shoulders.

"Wha! Why you little…!"Reyna barked, then ran after Zorgi to their room and chased him around, shouting the whole time. Bakura grinned slightly and turned towards Marik, taking the other's hand in his own and leading him towards one of the remaining rooms.

The golden snake rolled lazily over Bakura's shoulders, reaching his waist and caressing what skin it could find. Bakura opened the door to a room and led Marik inside. He left the door half open and reached a hand to slowly stroke Marik's white mask, as if caressing the other's cheek.

"Suhtra nma, Mariku…gypta ha koraa" (Get some sleep, Mariku…tomorrow we shall find your glyphs…)

Marik nodded slowly, his demeanor looking skeptical.

"Raishea har" (For sure) Bakura added rigidly, making Marik raise his head and nod vibrantly in an obviously renewed spirit.

And with those last words, Bakura gave a last caress on his lover's gloved hand and took slow steps to leave the room. Soon, when he had come out, only to find himself standing alone in the small lounge, he finally allowed his own nervousness to catch up with him…

Marik would find his glyphs, right? He would come back to normal…right? These doubts that plagued him were too much for Bakura…And the need…the need was overwhelming, stronger than any other time, demanding release immediately. His skin cried for the feel of his lover's touch, the endless plains of soft mocha…he needed to look into those eyes again…those crystal amethyst eyes…

To feel that familiar silken hair card between his fingers once more, to stroke and coax and caress…oh, how he needed Marik…the fleeting touches were never enough- he needed it all…That was the most important thing now…He couldn't care less if the world was being burnt to the ground by this so-called 'Fuhrer'…all he wanted was Marik. Real, alive Marik…

These two kids, Zorgi and Reyna…Bakura had heard them. They apparently didn't trust him, but Bakura couldn't care less at the moment. He just needed their help to find Marik's glyphs, and then he had no further use for them…

Marik…

Marik…

Bakura closed his eyes as he recalled an old, familiar tune. Oriental bells clang sluggishly, as a girl sang…and that beautiful body…oh, that heavenly creature, sent directly from hell to bring him to sin. Snakes swarmed around taut muscles and golden chains clang melodically…just for him…just for him…Crystal eyes watched him in a haunting gaze and rich, wet lips spoke his name in that slow, sensual manner…calling him, beckoning him…

Not being able to manage the pressure any longer, Bakura jumped up to his feet. For lack of knowing what to do to vent out his frustration, he approached Marik's ajar door. When his inquisitive red eyes narrowed to look inside the room he gasped.

There was the thin creature, looking more miserable and small and lonely than he had ever seen before. Sitting quietly with its knees drawn to its chest and none of its morbid parts showing, the zombie seemed to be reflecting.

Only the abrupt creak of the door alerted Marik to Bakura's presence.

The black haired man slowly walked towards his ancient lover and sat on the bed when he was close enough. He didn't gaze at Marik…he was just idly staring at the ground, thinking.

"Suura kuyut?" (Can 't sleep?) Bakura asked sympathetically, earning a small nod from Marik's part.

"Mni kaat" (Me neither) he added as an afterthought, and turned his thoughtful gaze at Marik. The white mask stared back at him.

And then, all of a sudden, Bakura reached at his black tunic and took out something…something red.

"Tralta…omfi naaha" (Here you go…It's as beautiful as you…) Bakura lovingly whispered, as he slowly gave the rose to Marik's numb-looking hand. The golden snake turned a melancholic, saddened gaze to the rose now in Marik's hand.

And then, to Bakura's utter astonishment, Marik threw the flower away.

Bakura's red eyes widened in unexpressed despair. That was the first time Marik ever did that to a present of his. Needless to say Bakura constantly ravished Marik with every kind of gift he could find. And Marik had always been loving and…and…soft…and beautiful…

"Hapho ishta?" (Is something wrong?) Bakura questioned in alert, trying to keep the panic from rising in his voice. Did this mean Marik did not love him anymore? No…No… that couldn't be…that was crazy…

Bakura reached Marik's hand and took it firmly in his own two, holding it as if it was a thread holding him to life.

"Ihart Ishta?" (What's wrong?) Bakura worriedly asked, his red eyes unguarded, revealing more emotions than he would like to possess.

But Marik pulled his hand away from Bakura's and stood up stubbornly, his snake rolling up on his shoulder. He walked firmly on the side of the room, towards the small window and next to a mirror. Bakura stood up after him, and came to stand close behind him. Carefully, he touched Marik's shoulder blade- the only thing that was left of his shoulder.

Bakura sighed, as he tried to express himself, watching the snake look at him in sad misery. He had a faint idea what this was all about…

"Nanda koera hruma kai suhu haayat moja kua nar" (I wish I'd been born a writer's child so I could write like you) Bakura suddenly admitted "Huui narma sugta mah…ranma" (Then we'd be able to communicate…at least)

Marik was unmoving, neither he nor his snake making any kind of indication that they were listening. Bakura knew they were, though.

"Makta sayahat Mariku" (I still love you Mariku) Bakura finally confessed, feeling as if he was doing this for the first time, all over again "Yahhu kana sayahat" (I love every part of you…) he finished.

Bakura was surprised to say the least, when he felt something strong grab his shoulder and turn him around, pinning him to the wall. And then, at lightning speed, Marik's ominous form was towering over him, the masked face mere inches from his. Bakura froze, his eyes wide and haunted, as Mari's snake glared at him in the most accusing manner he had ever seen.

And then, Marik did the unthinkable. He reached up with his hand and undid the fastens of his mask, letting it fall to the ground, and reveal to Bakura the full, up-close view of his grotesque, rotting, hole-eyed, bug-induced face.

But it seemed the restrained expression of disgust on Bakura's face was not enough. As if to prove his point further, Marik leaned even closer, bringing his smelly, overall nauseating face impossibly close to Bakura's, and causing the man's control to crack. Bakura cowered away, trying to pull his face as far from the disgusting image as possible, more from reflex than from logical thinking.

And finally, Bakura understood Marik's point. As the accusing eyes of the snake watched him eerily, Bakura saw Marik's message.

"_Do you still love every part of me?"_

With the speed of lightening, Marik let go of the one he loved and turned around in record speed. His bony knuckled fist came in contact with the mirror, colliding with the glass and making it shatter in one sparkling mess.

The zombie covered its face with both hands, refusing to look at its reflection, even at the small image reflected by the remaining broken mirror shards.

Bakura smiled a little and came close to Marik from the back. He placed a hand on the other's shoulder and whispered soft words of comfort that had always worked.

And then, an idea came to mind, and he knew Marik would cheer up, if only for a little while.

With one hand Bakura held Marik's shoulder, and with the other he touched the remaining mirror shards, A faint glow covered the glass, pulling Marik's attention and making him stare at the reflection inside it.

Shining lavender eyes were smiling back at him, outlined immaculately by the familiar kohl design. His own blonde hair fell gracefully around his face, framing it. It looked so unbelievably real that he moved a hand to touch it, only to find it was not there. Looking briefly at his hand, he saw its bony, pathetic state, but looking back at the mirror, he saw it as soft skinned and clean-nailed as he remembered.

He looked again at his face in the mirror, the gorgeous face many a woman in Egypt had fallen a victim of.

And as he saw the smiling red-eyed face next to his, which was now resting softly of his right shoulder, his fake reflection's lips broke into a bright smile, indicating he really was smiling on the inside, even if his skinless face could not show it.

Bakura and he, just as he remembered…Young, robust and beautiful…

And although he knew he could not speak, his lipless mouth made an attempt to spell a single word, only to be seen in his reflection for what it really was, a call of his lover's name. Bakura smiled wider when he saw it.

But just as the magic had come, just as easily it was gone, and the mirror stopped glowing and showed Marik for what he really was. A corpse. A stinky, dingy, filthy corpse.

And he hated it.

Just as unbidden came the voice of reassurance, followed by a sweet gesture. Bakura gave him the red rose in a renewed attempt to cheer him up. Marik bent down, took his mask and covered his face again, before he took the rose from Bakura's hand and brought it to his nose, pretending he could smell it and nodding in approval. Bakura smiled gladly, now feeling once again sure of himself.

Seeing his lover's true face had awoken pumping desires inside him, and now the need was growing in record highs, pulling more and more of his consciousness in its rapture. Blindly, he grabbed Marik's hand for some sort of reassurance.

Marik clasped both gloved hands over Bakura's, his glowing snake slipping lethargically towards the other's body.

"Shum haoru kaana, Mariku…mikaana kura dante" (I'll find those symbols for you, Mariku…if it's the last thing I do)


	3. Jealousy

_HIYA! You guyz are the **best reviewers** a writer could ask for! Thanks for all your encouragement! **This is a chapter dedicated to OBSESSED Uber Rei Model, since she has her birthday on the 21st and requested this update as a present!**_

_Anyway**, this chappy isn't as emotional as the previous one**…it's funnier, though. Don't worry, this will be a happy ending, so don't worry bout angst and stuff…it'll be all right in the end. In the next chap, emotion will strike again, combined with action and adventure._

_So, enjoy and please review!_

"Shit!" was heard the sudden baritone, which echoed ominously all around the small room "Shitshitshitshitshit!" Zorgi repeated desperately while hitting his fist against the wall. "I knew there was something wrong with this shit! Damn it!"

Reyna just rolled her eyes in disapproval and turned her attention back to cleaning the Razor Gun in her hand. "Can you be any louder?" she ironically questioned.

That obviously knocked some sense into Zorgi, who finally stopped his display of fury and plunged his tired face in both palms.

Reyna grinned somewhat bitterly as she fixed the caliber of her Gun "Or should I remind you that some ancient ghost may hear you from next door and come hopping in?"

Zorgi ran his hands through his hair, sighed deeply and leaned back on the wall. He looked at the floor briefly and then focused on his friend, who was sitting on the double bed. "Unfortunately" he stated "I haven't forgotten…"

A small pause. Awkward silence.

"I thought you liked Egyptian stuff…" Zorgi caustically commented, making Reyna glare at him in the usual manner "I'm sure you like one of those ancients quite a bit…" Zorgi teased, earning a reddening of Reyna's cheeks, both from anger and from embarrassment.

"You're hallucinating, Zorgi…I don't want anything to do with Bakura…" Reyna muttered, fighting to keep the exasperated tone from her voice.

Zorgi smirked in satisfaction, as he succeeded in making his rather stoic best friend betray herself. "Who said anything about Bakura?" Zorgi innocently asked, and at the grave scowl Reyna sent him, he started whistling nonchalantly.

Eventually, when thoughts and worries caught up with him, rather than his thirst for teasing, he stopped chortling and refocused on thinking.

"So…we have failed…" Zorgi commented suddenly, breaking the silence once again "we haven't gotten the info about the Fuhrer's current exact location or where he'll be in the next months…we haven't gathered absolutely any information about the Fuhrer's base…Instead, we have gotten ourselves more problems by reviving some ancient evil spirits and unleashing some god-forsaken Egyptian terror. At least, until recently, it was god-forsaken….but NOOOOO, little Reyna just HAD to go prying in other people's business didn't she?"

Reyna's eyes narrowed. The holster of her gun clicked as she finished fixing it. "I think we've already established that." she said through gritted teeth.

Zorgi smirked. "Sorry to ruin your chi, Reyna, but I guess it's UTTERLY, COMPLETELY your fault this time, isn't it?"

Reyna was at her feet before Zorgi could even dream of blinking. She had her Razor Gun pointing his temple soon enough, and her eyes had narrowed dangerously by now. "Just shut up and think about what we do next." She growled, nudging the gun slightly and pulling it away soon after.

When Zorgi was finally free of her threat, he turned around and used a hand to rub his numb neck. He smiled bitterly. "Oh, yes…what we can do next…" he started, pretending to be thinking ironically " Oh, but of course, we can't go back to the Fuhrer's base on the surface since they'll already be looking for us by now…then again, we could use our underground 'Hover worm' and go to Headquarters, but Lend will kill us for failing the mission- not including of course, how we are going to explain to him the sudden appearance of Bakura and a walking skeleton…evidently, dear Reyna, since we can't go out, we'll have to stay in…So what we do next is stay here and pray for a miracle that the Fuhrer's men won't find us."

Reyna seemed thoughtful for a few moments, after hearing Zorgi' s aggravated explanation. "I think you're underestimating someone…"

Zorgi rolled his eyes and nodded, as though it was pointless to try and argue with Reyna over anything. "And who might that be, Reyna dear? Is it you, perhaps?"

Reyna scowled and kept silent for a few moments. When she spoke again, the single word that Zorgi didn't need to hear was uttered.

"Bakura."

Zorgi scowled and rubbed his temples.

"What about him, Reyna?" he asked tiredly.

Reyna stood up, showing her body language of defending her arguments. "He's far more powerful than any man…He could be a great asset to us…to the Revolution. He could lead us to victory."

At this, Zorgi seemed furious, as he suddenly grabbed Reyna's arm and slammed her against the wall, bringing his face inches apart from hers.

"Aren't you forgetting something, Reyna?" he spit angrily " He isn't a man…whatever he is, it's not human. And even if it was, he's not on our SIDE, when will you understand that? All he cares about is bringing that freaky broad back to life, and he will do anything to do it! It doesn't matter to him if we live or die- don't you get it? All he cares about in the world is Marik…we'll never get him to fight for us…" and at these last words, Zorgi let go of the girl and took a few steps backwards, turning away from her.

Reyna had her head bowed with her auburn shaggy bangs covering her face completely. When she raised her eyes again, they seemed determined.

"I say we take him to Lend…he'll know what to do." She concluded, making Zorgi bark a laugh in reflex.

"You do realize that, if he wanted to, Bakura could slaughter Lend- and probably every single one of us- just as easily as he killed those guards back there…don't you?" Zorgi questioned heavily.

Reyna frowned deeply again, but nodded in comprehension nonetheless.

"And you still think we should take him to Lend?" Zorgi finished with a question, turning his head suddenly towards Reyna and watching her nod carefully. He grinned.

"Good" he said "all this thinking was making my head hurt…"

'Ah…' Reyna thought 'Typical Zorgi. When things get too serious, trust him to say something totally stupid to lighten the mood. Too bad it never works. I know how distressed he is inside…'

"Whatever, Zorgi…Let's just go tell Bakura, ok?" Reyna urged, earning a quick nod from her friend. Zorgi pushed the door of their bedroom open and walked outside with Reyna close behind. Needless to say they were shocked to find the room occupied already.

On one small armchair there was a gorgeous young man with silky, spiky black hair, which reached his waist. He was intently watching each and every move of what seemed to be a purple robed, masked figure. Reyna shivered at the mere thought of what hid behind that expressionless white mask. Marik was currently holding something unusual, though. A red rose…Why was the zombie playing so tenderly with its petals, making Bakura watch with an obviously love-struck expression?

"Bakura?" Zorgi started conversationally, making Bakura turn and pierce him with a most unnerving glare "Ah…woke up already, I see…" Zorgi needlessly commented, all the while trying to keep as physically away from Bakura as possible. Meanwhile, Reyna was staring at the ground, unconsciously clutching her Razor and trying not to look at the vile, purple-cloaked creature with the shining snake slithering around its right shoulder.

That god-damned snake was glaring right at her, again.

'Why me?' Reyna simply thought, trying to keep calm.

"What a stupid comment, mortal, since you can already see me sitting here." Bakura replied to Zorgi' s previous statement in a bored fashion. " Oh, and by the way…" the ancient continued with a leer satanic enough to make the hair on the back of Zorgi' s neck stand on end "do try to gossip with your friend in lower tones…it might have been my…unusual hearing ability or it might as well have been your aggravating shouts…no matter what, though, I did hear what you had to say about me…"

Both Zorgi and Reyna froze, turning to look at each other in morbid horror.

"…and I would like to assure you it is COMPLETELTY true." Bakura continued, with a leer rapidly growing more and more sadistic "In fact, I couldn't care less whether you and the woman live or die…I guarantee you I am prepared for anything the circumstances may call for, and your pathetic attempt of a rebel organization has no power over me whatsoever…"

"Now wait a minute…" Zorgi started saying in an angry tone, but shut his mouth immediately when he saw both Marik and Bakura stand up in unison and approach in a threatening way.

"I should very much enjoy, however…" Bakura continued his thoughts "A nice, long talk with this notorious 'Lend' of yours…since you useless mutts can't get me what I want…" at this Bakura's eyes slid fleetingly towards Marik's direction "I shall go to someone who CAN find it for me…And if this Lend is also incapable of finding Marik's glyphs for me, then I'm sure the Fuhrer can help…"

Zorgi sighed and Reyna mimicked his actions. Marik just stayed as unmoving and as ignorant as a statue.

"Ok…" Reyna started saying "Fine. Let's say we take you to our headquarters…How do we know you won't betray us to the Fuhrer?"

At this, Bakura smiled and took Marik's thin leather gloved hand in his own to caress unconsciously "You don't. That's why you're gonna have to give me what I want…so I won't go to the Fuhrer and give him the exact location of your hideouts…although I assure you, had I really wanted to destroy you, I would not have bothered with such tedious work…It is Marik's glyphs I need, and then I will be free to wreak havoc on all my enemies unperturbed. Right now, I could still cast you to oblivion had it not been for the fact that I need you to find the glyphs…do not forget though, mortal…" Bakura's eyes took on a bloody quality "I can destroy you whenever I want. Even now, as we speak."

To say Zorgi and Reyna felt tongue-tied would be an understatement. They exchanged weary glances when they thought Bakura wasn't looking, and seemed to be overall completely distressed. After an interesting period of pondering from the two friends' part, an answer finally came out.

"Fine" Zorgi answered a bit catatonically, feeling his heart beat faster at Bakura's eager evil smile "We'll take you to see Lend. Our revolution Headquarters are very deep underground and we have several other underground hideouts like this one, which are all linked to each other with a giant network of mole-like tubes. Small vehicles that can carry only two people at a time- the Hover Worms- are installed in every hideout. That's how we'll go to headquarters…but only two of us can go, which means the other two will have to stay behind…"

Bakura's eyes narrowed dangerously "I know basic arithmetics, boy." She growled, making Zorgi nod and bow slightly in apprehension and also making Reyna snicker at her friend's predicament.

Then Bakura turned to the other ancient suddenly, startling the others suddenly.

"Hikkat yuhta maaret ahla" (I have to follow this idiot) Bakura told his zombie friend, as the snake on the figure's shoulder curled lightly towards Bakura. The robed figure reflexively lurched forward and took solid hold of Bakura's wrist, as if to prevent him from leaving. Bakura smiled reassuringly, looking at the white mask of a face with strange and unknown feeling.

"Phaon dranme khaatti…thu na thlome irekti" (Don't be afraid…I'll come back soon) He reassured, suddenly understanding what it must feel for Marik to be weak, powerless, uncommunicable and, to top it all, stranded in the middle of nowhere, alone "Hraklamatana" (I promise you) he finished, as he slowly left the hand that was now holding his tightly.

At his point, Zorgi wondered what kind of expression would this woman, Marik, have on her real face at a moment like this…He was dead curious to see the woman in her true form. A sudden demand from Bakura shook him out of his trance.

"You, mortal…" Bakura started in his imperious tone, trying to shake off the desperation of Marik's snake's pleading looks " If two of us will be going, Marik can't come, since we wouldn't have a guide if he did. One of you has to stay here and the other has to come with me. Choose now." Bakura simply finished, and turned back to speak some other words of comfort to Marik, who now seemed close to hyperventilating.

Meanwhile, Zorgi and Reyna were sharing panicked looks.

"I'm going with Bakura!" they both exclaimed simultaneously, then glared at each other once they realized what they'd done.

"I'm going, since I can give him a better introduction to Lend!" Zorgi insisted quietly.

"No!" Reyna retaliated "I'm a better guide and an expert on Egyptology to boot!" she whispered.

"That's a shitload of crap and you know it!" Zorgi fought to keep his voice down while observing Reyna's rapidly reddening face.

"Ok, it is!" she admitted unrepentantly "So what? You can't just leave me with that monster! It'll eat me up! Didn't you see what it almost did to me yesterday! I'm telling you, that cannibal hates me…I'm at the top of the black list…"Reyna shivered at the thought.

"Look" Zorgi argued "You're a woman, she's a woman! It's perfect! You girls can have fun together…ya know…do all kinds of fun stuff…talk about guys, play solitaire, gossip…devour poor and helpless little animals…"

Reyna glared.

"Have you decided yet?" Bakura asked suddenly, wreaking the argument up. Both friends turned around to see the handsome man standing tall, with his ever-present zombie consort standing right behind him.

"Uhm…well…we're umm…working on it…" Zorgi confessed while rubbing the back of his neck in a familiar gesture. Bakura rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"Very well" he said with finality "since you cannot be adults and make the choice for yourselves, I will have to make it FOR you."

Reyna and Zorgi shared alerted glances. What did that mean?

"The man comes with me, the woman stays with Marik." He stated matter-of-factly, not really expecting any complaints. He was rather aggravated when he got them.

Reyna positively exploded, unleashing a torrent of pleas and whining upon Bakura that Zorgi knew would be a rather bad idea. What Reyna seemed to be unable to grasp was the fact that Bakura was not one of the other males Reyna was so used to controlling…he was different and, therefore, not very susceptible to her whims.

Reyna, however, performed her lethal mistake the moment she chose to lay a finger on the tall, lean man, And though Zorgi had tried to get it through her head time and time again yesterday that she had to restrain from touching Bakura at all costs, for the sake of not provoking Marik's wrath, Reyna simply didn't seem to get it.

Thus, the moment she unconsciously stretched that unbidden hand to hook around Bakura's elbow in an effort to convince him, a hissing shriek was heard. Suddenly, a disgusting feeling of slime penetrated the girl's senses. Bile immediately came up to her throat once she realized what was happening, feeling that disgusting, stone cold, filthy snake slide around her neck. It felt awful! How could Bakura ever let that thing touch him!

She felt the outlandish sensation of burning simultaneously with freezing to death, and almost screamed when a glowing pair of crystal lavender orbs zoomed in front of her face, at the same level with her own eyes. Vaguely, through the overall disgusting, sticky, suffocating feeling of the snake tightening around her neck, Reyna could register the shouts of her best friend- Zorgi- and the overall worried red eyes of Bakura which were turned towards Marik.

She heard the hissing sound become distinctively louder in her ear, and knew that the snake's face had come right above her throat.

"Fuudra nka, Mariku!" (Don't bother Mariku!) Bakura shouted, when he saw the twin long fangs of the snake unsheathe themselves from the creature's strange mouth. Strangely enough, Marik was holding the girl's hand and keeping her in place, while his sly snake was sent to do all the work for him. "Lhaat ar a, Mariku, yahtaad maayat sohe!" (We might use her later, Mariku, she's not worth killing!) Bakura reminded in alert, while he watched Marik's strange behavior about this particular girl.

And then, all of a sudden, just as the attack had started, just as easily it was over. The serpent quickly slithered back to its master's waist, glaring pointedly at the girl from its safe haven. As for Zorgi, who had been trying to help Reyna come back to her senses all this time, he glared at Bakura accusingly.

"What was that all about?" he demanded from Bakura, who rather bluntly ignored the question and continued to stare at Marik in a confused manner. What was wrong? Why did Marik attack the girl all of a sudden?

"Shihla mar umha mna, Mariku…Kurue rmahare ishlat" (We need her to find your glyphs, Marik…keep her unharmed.) Bakura filled in, just in case. Marik didn't seem very fond of this particular girl for some reason…Not that Bakura liked her of course…he just never really thought about killing her without sufficient reason.

The snake turned its slightly troubled eyes toward Bakura, signifying Marik had heard the reprimand and didn't really appreciate it.

Bakura blinked once, then twice. He couldn't figure out exactly what the woman had done that had bothered Marik so much…Sure, she could be irritating, but not THAT much…

"Thlare umma" (She's stupid) Bakura added as and afterthought, trying to get some kind of response from Marik, so as to find his problem. He sighed when he figured nothing out.

"Yahtaa smaar suhai…" (She means nothing…) he concluded, and nodded at his own thoughts. He saw the snake look at him with its haunting vision and stared back at it thoughtfully.

"Well, it's time we get going. Lend won't be there forever." Zorgi said in a disgruntled tone for being ignored for so long. "See you, Reyna…be careful." He advised in a rather mature tone, and walked away slowly. Bakura started to follow, but didn't leave before he gave a last goodbye to his obvious love and a strange, warning glance at Reyna.

Entrusting her the safety of his love was probably a very big deal about him…

When the door closed, however, and Reyna found herself alone with an unspeaking, snake-carrying, freaky Egyptian zombie which exceptionally hated her guts…She turned around slowly, ominously, only to come face to face with that creepy expressionless mask.

A rattling sound was heard, and Reyna watched disgustedly as the thing removed its right glove to reveal its long fingered, slimy hand. The girl felt goose-bumps climb on her skin, as she saw the zombie sluggishly stroke its shining pet-snake with its exposed hand.

Reyna took a few cautious steps backwards, only to find herself falling to a sitting position against the nearest armchair. Seeing her sit down, Marik mimicked her actions by sitting on another armchair in an excruciatingly slow manner.

As the zombie sat, however, it took hold of the lower part of its robe and allowed it to break free and reveal half of its skeletal body. Reyna almost choked, as she watched the skeleton sit across form her, half exposed, with its legs crossed in an obviously relaxed position. It took a moment for the girl to realize Marik was enjoying making her squeamish. Then again, maybe that's why he sent his snake to slither on purpose between the slim bones of his ribs, curling morbidly around each bony curve.

"I hate you." Reyna stated idly, knowing full well that the creature would not understand a thing out of what she was saying. And although Marik said nothing, he continued to watch her in that very same, placated way, his fingers toying with his robe and his snake rolling around his exposed bones…Reyna had a feeling the thing was sneering at her.

"That's the port, and these are the Walls." Zorgi explained while pointing at a frail looking, stone-made complex which remotely looked like a fort.

"You call these walls? They look more like candlesticks to me…" Bakura remarked starkly, making Zorgi roll his eyes at his snobbish character.

The two had just gotten off the Hover Worm, which had brought them all the way from the secret hideout to the central headquarters. Now Zorgi was leading Bakura across some strange streets and around some poor-looking people who all seemed similar to Zorgi and Reyna in appearance.

"Anyway, this is the Main Gate, once we go through here, we're in the main part of the city." Zorgi said once he spotted the huge gate in the middle of the fortress. The two men soon walked through it, only to be greeted by a huge crowd of all kinds of people. Every passerby appeared to be carrying firearms, and they were all dressed in that strange, innovative way. Although the city was dark due to the lack of the sun, great billboards and shining huge screens that Bakura had never seem before shone at the sides of tall constructions. Needless to say, the town had the general form of one huge, technologically developed catacomb, with its huge main entrance, its other main halls, and other numerous cryptic corridors. That was exactly what the town was- a very big, complex tomb.

Totally gothic.

Bakura liked it.

As the two men passed through the crowd, people backed away to let them through, in order to get a chance to stare at such a rare, unusual stranger. Bakura's unnaturally long hair and demonic red eyes, along with his surreal pale skin and beautiful figure- which was now wearing up-to-date black trousers covered by a black tunic which reached the knees- was enough to attract enough attention.

What was such a strange man doing in their rebel city? Most importantly…what was ZORGI doing with such a strange man in their rebel city?

The two companions tore through the crowd like a ship slits through waves, yet Bakura didn't seem to care. Zorgi tried to restrain his nervousness as he saw Lend' s quarters come into view. He decided to allow the topic to cover happier subjects and avoid his boss- and the wrath his boss would bestow upon him once he found out about the failed mission.

"So…uh…say, what was that all about back there? Is Marik really that jealous of Reyna touching you? Why did the snake attack?" Zorgi nonchalantly asked, trying to make light talk.

Bakura grinned and the memory of his loved one "Jealous? Oh, com'on don't be stupid, Marik would never be…." Suddenly, Bakura stopped dead in his tracks "…jealous," He turned to Zorgi with a look of enlightenment "Of COURSE! That's IT! HA! Hahahaha! How did I miss it….?" Bakura started laughing in a very relieved way, as though a great weight had lifted off his shoulders. Then, in a lower, more serious tone, he said to himself "He's, he's probably been jealous all this time…because the girl tries to touch me…he…he really…"

Zorgi, however, had not heard the last part of Bakura's thoughts, and was still ranting about jealousy. He had failed to inform Bakura they were drawing closer and closer to Lend' s quarters.

"I'm telling you man, women are jealous of everything and everyone- and I mean EVERYONE! It's only natural for a woman like Marik to b-"

"Woman?" Bakura suddenly interrupted Zorgi' s lecture with a perfectly arched eyebrow. "What woman?" he asked again, confusing Zorgi a bit and making him cock an eyebrow also.

"Why, Marik, of course. Who did you think?" Zorgi asked Bakura, as though he was talking to some retarded little kid. Luckily for him, Bakura seemed to be in a good mood and didn't mind being looked down upon. In fact, he actually laughed at Zorgi' words, for unknown reasons.

No wait. He didn't just laugh. He guffawed. And Zorgi was very much aggravated by this.

"Oh…Ahaha….oh, so you think...you actually thought Marik…ahahahaha…well, I suppose it WOULD be the logical assumption….Ahaha! It's hilarious just thinking about it!"

By this point, Zorgi had his arms crossed over his chest and his foot was tapping on the floor angrily. "What is?" he asked finally, trying to understand what Bakura found so funny about Marik being a woman. Bakura wiped the tears from his eyes and turned to finally answer Zorgi' s question.

"You idiot! Marik is-"

"ZORGI!" was heard the unmistakable yell of a face way too familiar for comfort.

"S-Sir!" Zorgi stuttered in a panicky tone and stood in attention, making Bakura smirk and raise an eyebrow. Only then did he spot what he assumed was Lend, Zorgi' s boss. A sturdy-looking fellow. A little too sturdy, if the countless waves of fat were any indication… Now where did this guy manage to find all this food to eat so as to actually get fat, in a society that Bakura could clearly se was starving? Bakura felt a vein pump furiously in his brow. He'd always hated the ungrateful types…

Well, if someone truly wants something, he can get it no matter what, right? In this case, food…but that was off the topic.

"We've been expecting news from you for two days now! Where have you been? Where's Reyna? And who on earth is this raven-looking fella?" Lend asked angrily as he fleetingly eyed Bakura up and down, and then reverted to Zorgi.

Needless to say Bakura was mot very happy about being ignored. "You insignificant human speck, I am Bakura!" he regally said, not really caring about good impressions, since he didn't need them to be respected "And I can win this war for you if you do something for me!"

Lend raised an eyebrow and shook his head dismissively, biting harder into his cigar "Hey Zorgi!" he started in his gruff voice "Weird accent this guy has- where'd you pick' him up, some ghetto or summat'?"

Zorgi really felt like bashing his head on the wall right about now.

"You puny mortal, do you not understand?" Bakura positively roared, outraged at being treated as an insignificant scum "Do not insult the King of Thieves, the Ruler of the Sahara, the Plague of Memphis- I am all those things: the greatest thief in Egypt!"

Lend raised an eyebrow yet again and made a motion as if to bite his cigar again. Unfortunately for him, his teeth hit one another, since the cigar was no longer there.

"What the…" he started saying, only to see his cigar resting in Bakura's hand, which was now outstretched towards him.

"Interesting…" Lend said, now seemingly more interested on meeting Bakura than expelling Zorgi "Come 'ere, lad. We can talk in private…"

Bakura grinned satanically and motioned for Zorgi to follow him in the crypt indicated. When they were inside and Zorgi was forced to narrate the entire story of how and where and why he met Bakura, it is needless to say that Lend did not believe a thing. That is, he didn't believe a thing until Bakura decided to prove to him just what kind of a creature he was, by retransforming himself into an ancient walking skeleton and then reverting back again.

The experience was very bad for both Zorgi- who was reliving it- and for Lend- who didn't want to believe he was living it.

Therefore, after this impressive display of power, it did not come as a big surprise when Lend begged Bakura to join his noble cause in saving the world from the evil Fuhrer's claws. Only then did the name 'Marik' come into the story, and Bakura tried to say as little about it as possible, to Zorgi' s surprise. Why was Bakura so evasive on the subject of Marik…? Bakura simply explained that he needed to find some specific ancient glyphs and only after he had found and used them, he would help the revolutionary movement against the Fuhrer.

Lend saw no reason to decline, and soon, Zorgi was faced with a new assignment: to find the lost glyphs. After their long conversation. Lend finally decided that he was a very busy leader of the revolution and had other things to attend to. Thus, Bakura was left to roam the city while waiting for Zorgi to finish his research about the glyphs in the huge city library. And what better chance could a ranger ask to roam the city than this?

However, other thoughts plagued Bakura's mind and soul as he walked around the crowded streets. His feelings of incomprehensible excitement were soaring, flying to the heavens. For some reason, the fact that Marik had been jealous made him feel really good. It made him feel so good, in fact, that he was looking forward to the next chance he would get to observe such possessive tenses from Marik's part. He couldn't wait until the next time Reyna touched him by accident, or did something Marik didn't like, just so Bakura could watch Marik get absurdly protective and possessive all of a sudden. Maybe it was the fact that Marik felt useless and disabled right now that made Marik so jealous of the girl's attempts in physical intimacy.

And such a silent proclamation of love from Marik's part was always important to Bakura.

Oh yes, as strange as it may have seemed to others, in their relationship, it was mainly Bakura who was more open and relentless to his confessions. It was partly because of the fact that Bakura was inhibited and reserved about everything else in his life, so the uncontrolled ardor had fallen upon his feelings of love about Marik. At first, having lost every single person he had ever cared about, Bakura had believed that he would never be able to feel love again. That theory was proven totally wrong when he met Marik… Maybe the fact that Bakura was never afraid to show his feelings in front of Marik had to do with the fact that Marik always made him lose control, make him lose himself, his heart, his mind. Under normal circumstances, when Marik looked at him, he couldn't think straight. Sometimes his feet got all wobbly and his hands started trembling- itching to touch.

Soon he'd lose control over his actions, and his right mind would be lost in sensation…soon, when those eyes looked at him…oh, and Marik had been jealous! Maybe a little too jealous, judging from the bruises around Reyna's neck. Funny, though, Bakura didn't feel particularly guilty about that either.

Suddenly, as he was walking, something caught Bakura's eye. He paused and looked at his left, where a girl was standing, selling what looked like beady necklaces and other ornaments. Bakura, being his notorious self, had a well-known obsession with shiny, possibly expensive objects, and although all the objects on that stand were shiny and expensive, he found he was keen on one in particular.

It was a very long chain of amethyst beads- too long to be a necklace. He noted that the gem-chain ended in a particular design, the use of which Bakura could not comprehend, exactly.

"Excuse me," he asked the seller in order not to raise suspicions with impoliteness "But could you tell me exactly what this is?" he finished and almost grimaced at the girl's practiced fake smile.

"Why of course, sir" she answered lightly "This is a chain to tie around your waist- the earring in the end attaches to your navel. Interested?" she eagerly asked, but was a tad disappointed by Bakura's shaking of the head. She turned around briefly to attend to another customer, and Bakura's red eyes darkened.

"Interesting…" he thought, as a strange, familiar itch developed on his fingertips. When the shopkeeper turned around later, she couldn't find her beautiful purple chain, for some reason.

Meanwhile, Bakura strolled contentedly to the library, all the time running vivid images of the gem he had just elected adorning his favorite body's navel- the navel of which he had memorized every inch…

Pushing open the tall, firm doors of the library, he walked all the way to where Zorgi was sitting. He was so absentminded daydreaming about his own fantasies, that he didn't notice Zorgi talking to him.

Who cared, anyway? Only one thing was important now.

Jealousy was not a feeling as flattering to Marik as it was to Bakura at the moment. Marik was possibly unhappy and suffering, and that's the last thing Bakura wanted. The black haired thief stroked the new present he had chosen for his loved one gingerly. It would look perfect on him- just like everything else did…

If Marik really was jealous, then Bakura had to show him he had no reason to be.


	4. Take

"Geez, Bakura, you look like a ninja in that outfit…" Zorgi idly commented when he spotted Bakura standing a few feet away. The young blonde boy continued with his busy typing, only registering Bakura's unusual reticence when he didn't receive a response to his statement.

"Bakura?" Zorgi questioned again, allowing his eyes to slip momentarily away from the screen in order to look at Bakura " Are you even listening?" Zorgi questioned a little amusedly. The red eyed man obviously seemed a bit preoccupied staring at something he was holding in a definitely lovestruck gaze.

"Huh? What?" Bakura suddenly looked up in alert. He hurriedly tucked the shining, purple object he'd been holding in his black tunic's pocket.

Though Zorgi raised an inquisitive eyebrow at the ancient's conduct, he decided some things were better left unsaid. Besides, he had a feeling he already knew what Bakura was thinking about, judging by his dazed eyes and unconscious little grin.

Zorgi rolled his eyes at Bakura's rare exhibition of blunt stupidity. 'What a woman could do to a man…' Zorgi thought in honest wonderment 'drive him so crazy so as to make him forget even his name…even a man like Bakura can fall victim to their charms! Marik has altered his mind!'

Shaking his thoughts away, Zorgi kicked away from the desk he was sitting at and stood up from the chair. He snickered a bit, watching Bakura try to focus "I said: you look like a ninja in that outfit." The blonde repeated.

Bakura raised a defiant eyebrow "What the heck is a ninja? Sounds offensive…" Bakura said, fixing a steady glare at Zorgi' s face as he spoke the words. Zorgi, for his part, rolled his eyes once more and waved a hand in resignation.

"Forget I ever said anything…" he simply said, and took a last look at Bakura's new appearance. Black trousers, wide enough to fit another two Bakuras, topped by a black, long-sleeved tunic that reached the man's knees. Then, of course, there was that long black cloth that Bakura had tied around his forehead. Geez, who did he think he was, Rambo? Judging from the black boots and the general variety of daggers that seemed to be attached to the cloth around Bakura's waist, maybe Bakura really did think he was Rambo, although he probably didn't even know who Rambo was.

Naturally, Bakura's BLACK hair only served to magnify the effect of general BLACKNESS that the man seemed to carry. His pale, almost albino-fair skin made a magnificent contrast to his black accessories, and the shining red jewels that adorned his face seemed alive enough to burn out of his face and rip everything around apart.

"No!" Bakura's deep voice insisted, now obviously insulted "If you start doing something, finish it! If you want to say something, say it!"

Zorgi was at a loss for words and didn't exactly know how to answer such a demand. He was actually saved by the most unimaginable source.

"BOY!" Lend roared as he entered the huge library, which was curiously empty at a day such as this. Obviously, not many people in the rebel city were scholars…

Zorgi immediately felt his muscles tense at the harsh yell of his name. He stiffened immediately and stood in attention. Bakura made no attempt whatsoever to hide his snort.

Noticing Bakura's presence as he drew closer, Lend' s face diverted from sadistically satisfied to subtly intimidated.

"Bakuraaaa" the fat rebel leader started with a sugarcoated voice and a friendly pat on Bakura's back. Bakura stared pointedly at the offending hand on his back and Lend withdrew immediately, "Bakura, Bakura, Bakura…my good friend…so, any luck on those…uh…" Lend struggled with words, trying to select the most appropriate one.

"Glyphs?" Zorgi added helpfully, with a curiously squeaky voice. The reason why the boy seemed to fear this smoking bag of fat of a 'fearless leader' truly evaded Bakura. Why was he a rebel leader anyway? He seemed…stupid, to put it bluntly.

"Yes, glyphs, thank you boy, that was exactly what I wanted to say…so, how's it going?"

Bakura's demonic eyes seemed to glint mysteriously "Actually, I just came in hopes of finding out, when YOU came in and interrupted us, mortal."

Lend bit his lips in discomfort and Zorgi fought to bite back a snicker at Bakura's absolutely snobbish expression and Lend' s totally intimidated look. Unfortunately, Lend had to display his authority in some way, and that way had to do with Zorgi, as usual.

"Well, what are you waiting for, boy? Give us a briefing, already: Lend positively barked at Zorgi, so the blonde took it as his queue to start speaking, before he received a spanking or something…in this case, one of his persecutors was worse than the other. As if he hadn't had enough problems with Lend…now Bakura had to turn up too…

"Well, um…" Zorgi started "The files were extremely well-guarded. I had to use all the codes we broke and all my hacker abilities to break into the Fuhrer's personal log system…."

""And what did you find out?" Bakura eagerly demanded, boring his fiery eyes in Zorgi' s glinting emerald ones.

"Ummm.." Zorgi was a little taken aback by usually reserved Bakura's sudden intensity "Actually, even though it was very hard to draw out specifics, I figure there has been a confusion of tombs and glyphs…Marik's 'release curse' seems to be locked in something like a museum on the planet surface, as an exhibit.

Lend and Zorgi watched, terrified, as sparks of electricity literally started to flutter around Bakura's fingertips.

"_Exhibit?"_ he repeated Zorgi' s words with incomparable malice and ire, making the poor boy nod numbly and Lend simply stare, slack jawed, as his ever-present cigar hanging limply from his mouth,

"Do you know where?" Bakura simply inquired, in a whisper so low it somehow sounded much more intimidating to Zorgi and the other than any kind of shout would have.

The blonde boy nodded vigorously, not wanting to anger the ancient further.

And thus, in a flash of black, red and blonde in front of Lend' s eyes, Bakura had dragged Zorgi away, out of the library, and all across to the town Gates. People looked at them as they walked, staring shamelessly, but Bakura was unperturbed once again.

He hauled Zorgi relentlessly, his red eyes fixed on the distance, on nothingness. Now he had found what he was looking for… and he wasn't going to pass up the precious opportunity.

His love's salvation…rotting somewhere as an exhibition! A damned exhibition! He would not tolerate it!

As they walked out of the catacomb-city, many people stared after them, Lend being one of them. None of them knew whether this dark stranger would ever come back, and what he would bring along with him, if he ever did.

"Please, at least just take a _look_ at it." Reyna begged for the umpteenth time as she shoved the purple cloak at the zombie's face. Unfortunately for the girl, sometime along the way, Marik had decided that torturing her by showing off a few bones simply wasn't enough- he had to reveal ALL the bones. Thus he had generously disposed of the robe and was now standing almost proudly in the middle of her room, flaunting his disgusting appearance.

"Ugh…I'm gonna retch…" Reyna made a grimace and tried yet again to convince Marik to wear his robe again. She noticed that the skeleton had a purple cloth wrapped around its waist, concealing what would have normally been its private parts. Reyna rolled her eyes. Geez, what was there to hide, anyway? The next thing they'd know, Marik would asking for a bra…

"Please…" she begged, trying to force Marik's masked –thank God- face to look at the clothes in her hands. As expected, Marik stubbornly refused to turn around.

"Please…" Reyna's patience was starting to wear off.

"What's going on here?"

At the sound of the dark baritone, both occupants of the room turned around in alert. There stood the notorious black angel, bathed in all his cursed, ancient glory, with his red eyes shining brightly and his ebony hair cascading beautifully down his back, pulled slightly up by the black bandana.

The situation was diverted in a second, as Reyna immediately felt some unheavenly force pry the purple fabric out of her hands. The next thing she knew, Marik was frantically pulling and struggling, trying to put the darn thing on his body as quickly as possible.

"Oh great, NOW you wear it! Thanks a lot!" Reyna whined, throwing her hands up in exasperation. Although, she had to admit, Marik's sudden self-consciousness in front of Bakura was to be expected. It amused her a bit, the way the mere appearance of the beautiful man made the zombie run frantically and hide its disgusting appearance in shame.

"Hmph!" she snorted loudly, crossed her hands, and turned her back on Marik, all the time thinking 'Marik doesn't deserve someone as brave and wonderful as Bakura…Nor do I, of course, but that's another story! This isn't the point! The point is that Bakura is worth much more than this slimy creature!"

"Reyna? Everything cool?" Zorgi questioned in mild interest, as he came to stand near his seemingly angered friend. Both were utterly ignored by Bakura, who approached Marik predatorily, much in the manner of a newlywed approaching his wife at the first night of their marriage.

How could he? It was disgusting just thinking about it! With _Marik_…EWW!

"Mariku! Lohla traan hu haymet…?" (Marik! Did you miss me…?) Bakura questioned eagerly, his red eyes sparkling in a kind of blind excitement unseen to mankind. A vigorous nod was received from Marik's part, as the glowing golden snake slithered particularly fast around Marik's torso, signifying his fervent reply.

Bakura smiled somewhat hungrily as he and Marik approached each other quickly. Immediately, once they were at a respectable distance, Bakura assembled Marik's hands in his own and stared into the faceless mask with a dull, hypnotized gaze. No one knew what Marik's eys would have looked like, if they could return Bakura's gaze. All one could see was the slow, meaningful gaze the golden snake was giving Bakura, from above Marik's head.

"Shimar huunda…glyoprna shimeetayaka" (It won't be long now….we've found the glyphs) Bakura whispered the words in incredible exultance, all the time clutching at Marik's gloved hands as though they were the anchor tying him to life. The snake hissed loudly signifying Marik's response and mutual excitement.

"Shimar huunda…"(It won't be long…) Bakura repeated somewhat dazedly, as he took Marik's hooded, masked head in his hands and held it gingerly, as though cradling it.

"Uhh…Maybe we should give them some time alone…" Zorgi suggested, not really expecting an answer as he proceeded to drag an unwilling Reyna along with him to their room.

Upon the realization that they were alone, Bakura almost danced from joy. He wanted to tell Marik so much, since he was so enthusiastic about Marik's newfound jealousy, but Bakura really knew he couldn't talk about that to his beloved. Instead, he took to fueling his blind excitement on something else.

He reached slowly in his pocket and pulled out a shiny, long object. Slowly, he stretched the amethyst chain in front of Marik's masked face, earning a hiss from the snake.

"Amni hue koranme har…" (It shines with your beauty…) Bakura started, as he let the other observe his elegant gift carefully. "Suhma hra kumar larka…thhari manar suu zumer" (When the time is right…tie it around your waist…)

And then, as if in a dreamy, lust-crazed haze, Bakura allowed his hands to slip affectionately over the over-accentuated, robe-clad, bony hips and tug insistently at the fabric…caress longingly. He breathed in deeply as he let Marik rest his masked face on his shoulder and the serpent slither from one body to the other, drawing sensual lines as it did. Bakura caressed carefully, expectantly…it was in the fashion of a worshipper touching a holy relic. "Koranmi thhari suu…" (Your most beautiful waist…) he dragged on with his husky, deep, honey-dripping voice.

At the sound of his own words and thoughts, Bakura recognized his own problems. Marik wasn't the only one at a vulnerable state, it seemed. It wouldn't be long for Bakura either. If he didn't find redemption soon he felt he would burn in chasmic fires…his nerves were a tangled, overexcited mess and his body was desperately aroused out of nothing, demanding attention. He clutched a bit more forcefully at Marik's frail figure and tried to restrain his throbbing heartbeat.

It would be soon…very soon…he could smell it already, the intoxicating aroma of his love's body- he could hear the jingling sounds of the golden earrings and the beads Marik loved to hang from his belt…all those little things, like the tantalizing touch of wet, aroused flesh under his fingers…oh, how it was calling for him…imploring him…

And as Marik's snake stole away his very mind, the feeling of his lover's soul next to his stole away his heart. He gripped harder, pressured Marik's useless body even more, only to receive a fervent response from the serpent currently wrapped around his thigh.

Oh yes…the crystal depths calling to him…Marik's slow, provocative smile as he curled his long fingers around the sheets…the sensual mouth opening only slightly, letting those unrequited breaths heat Bakura's very skin…the mocha thighs gliding around his pale body, nesting him forever in their fiery embrace…and last of all, the beautiful sounds…the heavenly voice calling out to him, crying out his name in that unique melody, making all his untold dreams come true.

How deeply he could taste it, hear it- relive it: the white-hot warmth, the trembling oblivion, the blinding darkness! He had to take it! Without it even immortality was useless! He had to! He had to….He had to find it again! The blessed light, the searing pleasure, the heat!

Suddenly, he pulled back from his aesthetic reverie, and fought the will to resume his dreaming. Soon, he would make dreams reality. Marik seemed to understand his purpose immediately, as the zombie summoned its snake back to its shoulder.

The thin skeleton looked carefully at the shining chain now in its hands, and bowed its head gently as a gesture of gratefulness and joy. Bakura grinned a little shakily, trying to fight his own demons and be strong for his love at the same time. Who would have known that the angel of his dreams would also be his torturer of desire?

He watched as Marik placed the chain carefully in his robe's hollow curve of a pocket and smiled lovingly.

"Shimara, Mariku…" (Soon Mariku…) he whispered, as he caressed the thin palm in his hand.

"Well, sorry to spoil your little romantic get-together, but I just wanted to remind you we need to go right now, in order to find those glyphs!" Reyna decidedly broke the silence with one of her rough glares. Naturally, when she showed up out of nowhere to interrupt the conversation, or monologue, the snake on Marik's shoulder hissed and glared at her, although the zombie itself did not turn to watch her.

Bakura grinned secretively, since now he knew what it was that caused Marik's profound aggravation about the girl. He was a bit mad at himself for enjoying it so much, actually.

"Well, don't just stand there!" Zorgi shouted from beside Reyna as he came to stand next to the girl "You have to disguise- we're going up to the surface. Fuhrer's territory! Ring a bell?" he reprimanded, making Bakura visibly roll his eyes.

"Honestly, mortal. Sometimes you and your stupid theories make me sick." The red-eyed man said.

"I don't like the feeling of this, Bakura…" Zorgi commented while looking around suspiciously. Though they were amongst total strangers in the roads of the Fuhrer's capital, nobody seemed to notice them, much less identify them as rebels.

"Poor, stupid mortal." Bakura lamented sarcastically, all the time walking protectively in front of mysterious, dark Marik. "Of course you cannot perceive the depth of my telepathic powers. They do see us, they just don't acknowledge us as living beings…They think we are part of the background…a thief's most subtle technique. How could a crude and inexperienced child like you understand that?" Bakura caustically asked, making Zorgi fume as he led the way towards the desolate museum.

Reyna seemed interested in Bakura's previous words "So you have telepathic powers, huh? That's how you managed to gain knowledge from my mind so as to learn English…telepathy,"

Bakura sneered disinterestedly, focusing more on the surroundings than he did on the girl. "Very good mortal. We might make a normal person out of you yet."

Reyna chose to dismiss the comment and the fact that Bakura seemed to be openly ignoring her. "So why can't Marik read our minds also? No psychic abilities?" she asked.

That moved Bakura's attention, but only a bit. "I thought I already made it clear, woman, than Marik and I have very different powers. The dark charisma differs according to one's character traits and personal highlights. I never thought you'd notice anyway, but I don't have a snake, do I? Una, however, has always been with Marik, so…"

"Una…" Reyna curiously asked "Who's that?"

Bakura very pointedly rolled his eyes in exasperation "Honestly woman!" he exclaimed tiredly "Marik's snake- who else could it be!" he simply said in an overly aggravated tone, signifying the conversation was over.

To say Reyna was perplexed at finding out that the disgusting creature actually had a name, was an understatement. Not only Marik seemed to treat that…that…thing as a pet, but Bakura did too? Although Reyna felt the burning need to find out how Bakura knew the snake's name without having Marik tell him, she decided not to speak further and to focus instead on the road.

Many a time had Bakura spotted various beautiful shiny objects he had liked at the exhibits of various shops. Predictably, he showed them to Marik and offered them to him with an air of a generous husband, giving to his wife everything she could ever ask for. That, however, was beside the point, since Bakura didn't seem to believe he was overdoing it at all. His lovesick gaze actually betrayed his inner feelings- he believed he wasn't offering _enough_!

How could it be that this disgusting zombie had such a lasting affect on him? Although Marik denied Bakura's presents each and every time, Bakura did not refrain from stealing them, and stacking them away for later use- probably to give to Marik later.

"He's just spoiling her…" Reyna had whispered to Zorgi at some point, referring to Bakura's over-exhilarated state of giving presents to Marik.

"Hey, how else can he show her he loves her at this point?" Zorgi had merely suggested coolly, and let the subject drop, making Reyna think about ut. For once in his life, Zorgi had actually been right. That obviously WAS the only way for Bakura to show to his loved one how he felt about her at such a situation, wasn't it?

When they finally reached the museum entrance and saw the guards waiting outside the doors, Zorgi and Reyna- like any other normal human being- hesitated. Bakura and Marik, however, walked through the doors unperturbed, not even shedding a glance towards the ignorant guards' direction. Zorgi and his friend hurriedly followed.

"According to the information I found, the plaques must be on the 23rd floor." Zorgi informed quickly, as he saw Bakura's determined stare. "Um…let's take the elevator!" Zorgi suggested, leading the way to the elevator, since he knew Bakura couldn't possibly know how to operate one of them, being an ancient Egyptian and all…

"Quick, this way…" he urged. Once all for of them were in the elevator, Bakura turned to Marik and smiled broadly. They were so close now, so close…

Reyna idly stared at the face of an old woman in the elevator who didn't even seem to notice them being there. She probably didn't, had Bakura's powers truly been in operation.

Ding! The chime signifying they had reached their destination rang pleasantly around them, annoying both Bakura and Marik to no ends.

"I didn't press 23…" the old woman murmured ignorantly. She never managed to see the four passengers step out of the elevator before she insistently hit another button, making the elevator's doors snap closed again.

"Okay! This way!" Zorgi urged, as he tugged on Reyna's hand and led the small group across some other rooms, through some corridors, over some glass floors and, finally, to what appeared to be the Egyptian section of the exhibition. Sometimes, Bakura laughed as he saw the old Egyptian exhibits, some other times he frowned. Like when he saw that strange jar with carved symbols on it…he must have known what they meant or something.

"I don't understand." Zorgi finally said, as he came to a stop in front of what seemed a huge wall representation of the ancient Pharaoh's city, Memphis. "It ought to be here…" he ominously said.

Bakura's eyes narrowed dangerously. Reyna sensed the fury.

"Uhh…maybe it was here but moved to another place…maybe it's on another floor?" she weakly suggested. At the shaking of Zorgi' s numb head, her eyes darted desperately around, searching for an answer, anything. Suddenly, Bakura's hands clutched Zorgi' s jacket and brought him face to face with the irate red eyes.

"Where. Are. The. Glyphs?" he asked slowly, dangerously.

Zorgi staggered backwards…or at least tried to. "I…I' m telling you…they should have been here…the info said…"

Bakura's black pupils got dilated into satanic slits "Why you insolent, underhanded little-"

Just as the black-haired demon was about to strike the poor, shivering boy, a loud crashing sound was heard. Ominously, Bakura, Reyna and Zorgi all turned around to see the horrendous sight:

Marik, or rather, a very angry-looking Marik, with his bony hand piercing the glass barrier of the wall exhibition.

"Oh no! Marik! The alert!" Reyna tried to reason, ignoring the fact that Marik wouldn't understand her. Frantic footfalls were heard from the left as a museum guard ran quickly to speculate the damage. But alas, the poor man was too late, for he was brought face to face with the rage of destiny itself, as Marik grasped the person's throat with one hand and plunged the other in his body, drawing out his liver and guts, pulling them harshly enough to rip them away, as though Marik wanted to place them in HIS body, to rebuild his own non-existent organs.

"Mariku!" Bakura most uncharacteristically screamed as his usually placated face paled even more at the view of the cold-blooded kill. Well, even though Marik couldn't speak English, the zombie must have realized the glyphs that would bring its redemption were not around…and Marik didn't really like the prospect of staying a zombie for long.

"Oh my GOD!" screams and shouts were heard from the crowd that had gathered around the murder, and Zorgi and Reyna suddenly realized they were perfectly visible and noticeable to all others.

"Oh no…" Zorgi simply whispered in a cold rush of fear "Bakura…your magic is still working…right?"

But the dark demon didn't really seem to hear him, since his wide, bloody, dilated eyes were focused unbreakably on the object of their affection, Marik, who had now actually lowered himself to the point of trying to pluck the victims _tongue_ out of his throat- such insane craze had assaulted him. The masked zombie doubled over suddenly, starting to make pathetic, retching sounds over the dead person's corpse, while Marik's snake dolefully made the same kind of hissing, crying sounds as its master.

Zorgi assumed it to be only logical that Bakura, upon seeing his loved one slip into such a desperate haze, had let down his defenses and, consequently, forgotten about the magic that was keeping them invisible.

"Oh no" Reyna managed to say, before an onslaught of sound attacked them all. Red flashing lights shone everywhere, and Zorgi covered his eyes and pulled Reyna to his side. Meanwhile, Bakura ran to Marik's side, trying to pry his beloved off the dead man and help Marik stop his retching.

Inevitably, more guards came running in, and upon seeing a robed figure with a black-haired, crow-like man standing above it, they naturally assumed that they had found their suspects. They ran offensively towards Marik, as if to seize him, but they weren't prepared for the unearthly, inhuman, penetrating cry that was heard all around them, like a rumbling of rocks or a cataclysm.

And then, before they knew it, something was in front of them- something like a huge, skeleton-like creature with wings, and very sharp fangs, that protruded from its enormous mouth. Vaguely, they registered the black-haired warrior had vanished form where he had been standing, and now this monster had taken his place, protecting the robed figure in the manner of a mother hen shielding her newborn.

The sudden strike from a huge flapping skeletal wing was enough to knock four men out, and the last thing they knew before they passed away was an awful hissing, almost weeping sound.

"Bakura!" Reyna shouted desperately, now holding her Razor Gun firmly and pointing it at innocent citizens in order to terrorize them "We need to get out of here"

Having slowly returned to his original form, his clothes slightly torn from the metamorphosis, Bakura closed his eyes and focused. Suddenly, the innocent people didn't seem to notice them anymore. Naturally, they were completely perplexed and terrified about that, but having witnessed a young man turn into a monster and then back into a man again, they didn't really find it so unexpected…They continued to stare, disgustedly, at the dead corpse on the floor. Some continued to cry and scream.

"We must hurry! Get out!" Reyna urged, as she ran towards the elevators, which were undoubtedly bringing more guards that would be unable to notice her. While Zorgi ran after her, Bakura continued to try and dislodge Marik from the corpse on the ground.

"Shuruna estu, Mariku!" (They're coming, Mariku!) he shouted, and finally forced Marik away from the retching position on the ground. He hauled the thin zombie towards the elevators, where he found a pack of newly immobilized guards by Reyna. Quickly, The group of four entered the elevator and pressed the button for the ground floor.

"Quick! We must get out of here before the Fuhrer's men identify us!" Reyna urged, but Zorgi seemed skeptical. He suddenly pressed the button to stop the elevator and then pressed the button to another floor, an underground one.

"Zorgi!" Reyna cried in panic "What the heck do you think you're doing?" she asked.

Zorgi' s eyebrows furrowed in concentration of his memories of the info he read "Wait…There might be a chance to find the glyphs yet…"

"Are you crazy?" Reyna roared "You're gonna get us killed!" she shouted, but did nothing to revert his actions. He scowled harder and she gasped, realizing innocent cheerful little Zorgi was suddenly not innocent cheerful Zorgi anymore. He was the Zorgi. Zorgi Magna. The warrior that Lend had chosen to pull out his hardest missions.

Zorgi Magna. Why did she see him like a serious person all of a sudden? Why…

"Htarna mahalat, Mariku? Nralka! Hayaat mure amni me!" (What were you thinking Mariku! Tell me! You could have gotten yourself killed!) Bakura suddenly roared, making the others share apprehensive glances with each other and cower away slightly. That tone of voice didn't sound very good, and they had never heard Bakura use it on Marik before.

Right now, Bakura's eyes reflected hurt and angst and most of all, a sense of betrayal. Marik stared silently at the ground, his snake mimicking his actions, not moving, for once.

"Shehlta uri mamni ki…rumna huru sui massi." (You're not strong enough now…you know I can't live without you.) Bakura's voice had surely lessened in volume and harshness, yet it still held a tinge of its previous frantic worry. At Bakura's words, Marik's head snapped up. Suddenly, to everyone's surprise, Marik snatched one of the knives attached to Bakura's belt and pulled it away. The zombie held it in its fist and suddenly, unexpectedly, drove it rigidly to where its heart should have been.

Nothing happened. Bakura sighed and closed his eyes.

Marik kept stabbing himself, again and again, each time more fervent than the other, displaying to all exactly how much he hated himself at that moment. He finally managed to show to Bakura the extent to which his self-hate had consumed him, so much that he was ready to give up everything in order not to exist in that form, in that world, unable to touch, taste or speak…Unable to touch and feel and…kiss.

But Bakura wasn't a normal man, and, just like with everything else in his life, he was passionate about his feelings too. Thus, as Marik kept providing a most unwelcome sight by stabbing his none-existent, unaffected body, Bakura fisted his hand and hit the wall with finality. Marik stopped for a mere millisecond, but resumed the stubborn process soon after.

Only then did Bakura narrow his eyes, glare maliciously at the stubborn white mask on Marik's face and reach at his belt. He, in turn, pulled out a knife.

And then, just as sudden as Marik had been with his violent motions, Bakura copied the other's movement and drove the blade deep in his heart, in the middle of his chest. At once, Marik dropped his dagger and started making those hideous retching, choking sounds again, as he lunged at Bakura and tried to stop him from doing the repeated motion of stabbing himself, then pulling the blade out for another hit.

Bakura seemed completely unaffected. All he did was blink as he stabbed himself, yet the sight was still disturbing.

Marik grabbed, clawed, nearly bit on Bakura's hand in order to make it stop, but Bakura wouldn't allow it. Just as senseless and unfeeling Marik had been with the dagger, Bakura was even more so. It just felt different, seeing it happening from a normal looking human.

Unexpectedly, Bakura dropped the knife, startling Marik. He took hold of the forearm that had been clutching his hand, not caring that he was now touching naked bone and rotten flesh, not caring about anything. Marik stopped retching and stared upwards, his snake mimicking his moves.

"Htara? Htara ma? Autode thes, Mariku? Name skothei? Afou otan skothoeis tonea sou, skotheis ki emena…AUTODE THES!" (What is it? What do you want, huh? Isn't this what you want, Marik? To kill me? When you kill yourself, you kill me too…IS THIS WHAT YOU WANT!) Bakura roared, wet rivers now freely rolling down his cheeks, making all other occupants of the elevator freeze. They didn't even breathe, as Bakura continued speaking.

And to the others horror- even Marik's- he started to change as he spoke, to wither. To turn from a beautiful youth to a rotten corpse all over again, as he held Marik's hand in his own and cried like a child. Marik frantically touched his lover's cheek as if to bring back the beauty and youth, but it wasn't coming back…and Marik seemingly didn't know what to do.

"Oli mou ti zwi, ithela na eimai mazi sou…oli mou ti zwi…kai twra thes na mou klepseis tin eukairia…an miseis toso ton eauto sou, Mariku, tote miseis ki emena…Giati…Giati…giati ki ego, stalitheia san esena eimai…" (All my life, all I ever wanted, was to be with you…all my life…and now you want to steal that chance away from me, again…if you hate yourself so much, Marik, then you hate me too, because it doesn't matter how pretty I may look outside…I'm actually…I'm actually…just like you…and I'll stay that way for you, if I have to. In the form that I can love you…)

Until he'd finished those words that neither Zorgi nor Reyna could understand, he had turned back into a zombie again too. His voice was heard not from vocal chords, but from some unearthly force, as it rumbled out of his mouth. And for the first time since Zorgi and Reyna had ever met Marik and Bakura, they saw Bakura fully, truly, unguardedly embrace Marik, not at all disgusted or afraid or scared, since he, too, was giving what he was receiving.

And as Bakura closed his eyes and felt the gentle slithering of Una around his ribs, he saw their embrace for what it really was- beauty. Because they were beautiful, and no matter how much fate tried to twist it, he knew, without a doubt, that when he'd open his eyes, he'd find crystal lavender staring back at him, with the same care and tenderness of the very first time.

No matter how molded and rotten and bug-eaten Marik's face really was, Bakura would somehow always see it youthful and robust, full of life, waiting for him to explore it.

That was his love, the feeling that he had always felt pierce his heart, from the very beginning. That was how he knew love. Marik knew it differently. Marik tried to make himself a better person because of his love for Bakura, but Bakura knew now that he needn't try to find anything better. He had all he wanted, right here, and even if they never managed to find the glyphs, he couldn't care less. He had been granted immortality with the one he loved, and that, in itself, was a blessing.

"Quick, Bakura! There might be guards waiting for us!" Zorgi shouted, hoping against all odds, that Bakura would hear him. "There might still be a chance for the glyphs! Heads up!" Reyna yelled mere seconds before the doors of the elevator burst open, revealing the sight Reyna and Zorgi had feared the most.

Bakura had only managed to convey the short information about the glyphs to Marik when he realized what was going on. Still in his zombie form, Bakura lunged at the guards outside with feral agility, followed closely by Marik.

Zorgi and Reyna did all they could with their guns, covering the two ancients, though it wasn't really needed.

"Damn!" Zorgi suddenly shouted over the fuss "I hope Marik has really nice tits! I won't forgive myself for going over all this if she's a hag, or something!"

Reyna guffawed over the shouts of the fight "Typical!" she shouted back at her friend, as she took a chance at hitting a guard with her Razor.

There was silence for a minute, and Bakura's voice was heard. When Zorgi and Reyna came out of their elevator haven to a long, stony corridor, which was isolated and dark. They were glad to see Bakura changed back to his normal form. Well, at least the dark corridor seemed to be hosting only one ghost, not two, though appearances could be deceiving.

Suddenly, yells and frantic screams were heard from the far end of the corridor, alerting the others that guards were still hot on their trail.

"Quick!" Zorgi shouted, pointing at an old-looking wooden door at the side of the crypt "Over there!" he directed, and took off towards the door. Reyna and the others followed suit, while the voices of the predators were coming closer. Reyna, the last one in line, only had a glimpse of one of the guards' faces before she sneaked in the room and let Zorgi slam the door shut behind her.

And then, enlightenment came. It was as if she walked in a cavern of light, since those magnificent, though eerie carvings on the wall seemed to emit their golden light everywhere, in all directions. The oriental beads that hung everywhere clung joyously, as though the day they had been long awaiting had finally arrived.

It seemed the day HAD arrived, judging from Bakura and –probably Marik's too- blessed looks.

And suddenly, it clicked, and Reyna felt stupid for not understanding earlier.

Of course. Marik's glyphs.

"It's…beautiful…" she breathed airily, earning a nod of agreement for Zorgi.

But their astonishment was doomed not to last for long, since a harsh thud was heard from the door.

"They're trying to get in here!" Zorgi yelled in alert "Reyna, help me hold them back!"

For once in he life, the girl did what she was told without stalling or whining. All she could do was shout at their ancient friends.

"Hurry, Bakura! We won't be able to restrain them for long!" she shouted, seemingly breaking some sense into Bakura, who probably woke up from one of his pleasant, Marik-related reveries.

Bakura quickly turned to the zombie by his side "Mariku! Ish damnar!" (Marik! The canopic jars!) he demanded quickly. The zombie seemed to oblige from sheer happiness, if not from understanding. It opened the front of its cloak hurriedly, accompanied by the bangs and thuds on the door.

"Hurry!" Reyna gave the pained yell.

Marik revealed the small bundle that had been tied under his empty ribcage for safe-keeping. Well, being a skeleton had its advantages, from time to time. For one thing, you had more storage room.

Bakura grabbed each and every vase in blind excitement and anguish, and he and Marik took turns to throw the contents of each of the six sacred jars on the walls, to be absorbed by the symbols.

"Kramand…huyaata mar." (This is it…go now…) Bakura barely whispered, as he softly nudged Marik from the back. Una stared at him with her silky, glowing lavender gaze, as her master took the few steps towards the glyphs, which were now shining more brilliantly than ever before.

"Oh, my god, I can't believe it! This is actually happening!" Reyna over-excitedly squealed. Form her side, Zorgi couldn't believe it either, as he held his breath in apprehension and silence. The thuds from the other side of the door seemed so dormant now, so distant…

Marik was standing right in front of the glyphs, building to the suspense of the situation by doing absolutely nothing. Bakura's anxiety was so great that the ancient actually started biting his lower lip and clawing at his own nails.

"Huntar, Mariku! (Do it, Mariku!) he yelled suddenly, and Marik nodded slowly.

He raised his hand in somewhat a ceremonial manner and placed it on the glyphs.

Bakura raised his hand to block the blinding light from penetrating his eyes, while at the same time Reyna and Zorgi shut their eyes tight. No one could see what was happening in that blinding inferno, but they easily realized that Marik's body had been lifted off the ground and was now floating, transforming in midair, much like Bakura had in his transformation.

Suddenly, as bright as the light had been, just as rapidly it faded away, leaving behind it sterile-looking blank walls and non-glowing symbols. Reyna felt almost sorry for them to have lost their beauty, but now, there were more pressing matters…

…like the robed, hooded figure standing steadily with its back turned to them right now.

"Here it comes…the moment of truth…" Zorgi held his breath dramatically, trying to ignore the shaking of the door "DOES she have big boobs, of doesn't she?"

Unfortunately for Zorgi, Bakura didn't seem to be listening to him at the time, or he would have answered accordingly. Reyna, however, merely rolled her eyes heavenwards.

Nevertheless, the figure didn't seem to be moving. For a long time, it just stood there, unmoving , with Bakura making absolutely no move to approach it. Reyna's hands were beginning to ache, and she was about to start protesting, when Marik finally moved.

The hooded figure moved its left, gloved hand to its unseen, masked face. And though, from the outside, no change was obvious, they could all somehow sense it in the air…the air felt thicker, somehow…it smelled…different- heavily spicy. Curiously, Bakura seemed to close his eyes and devour that smell hungrily, greedily, as though he already knew where it was coming from.

A sudden clanking sound was heard and soon enough, the white mask came rolling down the few steps and to Bakura's feet. He looked down at it almost morosely, then turned immediately back to the spectacle before him.

No one could really see what was happening, but the person known as 'Marik' did something with his hands, then dropped something else. Soon, they knew it was a glove that the figure had disposed of, since a long-fingered, tanned hand literally slithered to his side. With unnecessarily accentuated movements, which seemed to make Bakura's insides tickle thirstily at the mere sight of, the hooded figure let its hand trail into its robe's pocket and come out with something shiny- something purple.

Bakura seemed fascinated by the sight of that soft hand, knowing there was more to come and loving every single bit of his silent torture. As for the two other friends, their breath was caught, stuck in their throats as they watched the figure bring the purple chain forward and do something with it.

If Bakura was stressful, he didn't show it. Instead, he seemed to be was salivating. How…disturbing…for some reason, Zorgi and Reyna both felt like salivating too, at smelling that suffocating oriental perfume.

Zorgi prepared for the sight he had been anxious to see. What kind of girl would it be? Beautiful? She was Bakura's girlfriend…she would be lovely no doubt….Zorgi rejoiced at the thought. As for Reyna, she idly wondered what her rival in love really looked like. Reyna was sure she would be tall and blonde and brainless, like all the other bimbos men like.

Bakura, however, seemed to have developed a strange itch at his chest, and fingers, and throat. He longed to scratch that annoying flip-flop in his stomach, but knew he couldn't move, even if he'd wanted to.

The hissing sound of a voice forever sweet in his ears was heard, as the familiar feeling of sweet oil running over his skin assaulted him. He looked down immediately, only to come face to face with the beloved serpent, which seemed to glow more vigorously than any other time. Bakura noticed it had an extra shine about it, and that its tail seemed to leave behind it a temporary glowing trail, much like airplanes did to the sky with their long white lines of smoke.

The serpent slithered up his leg in the familiar, sensational pattern, and Bakura immediately turned to the snake-charmer, knowing that the time he had been waiting for had come, finally…

Clinging bells echoed around suddenly, as the swooshing vision of a cape turning came to Bakura's eyes. And then, from the darkness of the half-open purple robe, suddenly stretched forward a single plain of mocha skin- much like the fashion of a stretching snake. The glittery purple chain appeared around the taut bronze stomach, with its clip secured gently at the navel. Marik revealed himself further, showing off the immaculate design of his stomach and the twin dark brown nipples that adorned his lean chest.

Two _very_ sharp intakes of breath were heard, but neither Marik nor Bakura seemed to notice. Reyna glanced frantically at her partner, who gazed back at her at a loss.

"It's…she's…I mean, he's…unless this is a very bad joke…Marik is…" the girl started, locked gazes with Zorgi, and let him finish the sentence himself, adding to the shock of the whole situation.

"A man."

"But that's_ impossible_!"

"It doesn't change the fact that he IS a MAN! Bakura's in love with a man!"

"I don't feel very well…I don't think…

Oh yes, definitely a man…And what a man he was, with his hardened nipples and the gentle lines of his stomach, which dipped softly into his navel, and then ran down below, to curve at his hips. Suddenly, the fact that Marik always wore a cloth_ around his waist_ and nowhere else made _perfect_ sense, and the way Bakura had guffawed when told about Marik's womanhood made even more sense.

Then, as sudden as everything about Marik was, came the abrupt revelation of this face, as he shed the offensive article of clothing behind him, dropping the robe with serious, almost malicious, force.

To say the look on Marik's eyes was feral, was an understatement. The eyes were unnatural, almost too crystallic, making an unbelievable contrast with his bronze mocha skin. The majestic qualities of his shoulder-long bleach-blond hair could never be compared to the entrancing glow of his eyes, which seemed elegant and eerie at the same time.

Naturally, what more could be said about Marik, apart from the fact that his lecherous grin was aimed at none other than a certain pale-skinned tomb-robber, who was currently shamelessly OGGLING at him with absolutely no repercussions.

Bakura felt the heat gather all around him, his temperature shooting to record highs. The until-recently dead blood in his veins started throbbing furiously, almost hurting him in the process. His mind jumped to overload soon after, and, as always, he literally shut down at the sight of those sinful, alluring crystal eyes.

And Marik hadn't even spoken yet.

Right then, when Bakura slipped out of his sensational daze and started to run towards Marik, Reyna knew there was absolutely no chance for her. No siree. No chance in a million. Neitherb spiritually nor physically. Compared to an Egyptian male aphrodisiac god…she simply didn't stand a chance. As for Zorgi, he didn't even know what to do at the revelation that Bakura had not been trying to bring back his fairy-tale princess, but his fairy-tale prince instead…Did that mean Bakura was gay…? In that case, had Zorgi himself been in danger of being groped all along!

Nah…not possible. Marik would have probably sent his snake to bite his head off before anything like THAT could happen….thank God.

When Bakura reached Marik, he didn't touch him immediately, just stared at him, seemingly absorbing the mere sight of him, the feeling of him standing so close. The tomb raider dipped his head forwards suddenly, taking in the smell that was overwhelming from such close distance.

Until, of course, he felt a thigh slide up, and hook around his leg. Slowly, he let his own hand roam down and sweep slowly up the generously offered soft flesh. He looked into Marik's eyes as he touched, probing carefully, blessedly. And then, in a swift flash of nothingness, when his overly sensitive nerves felt that hot breath he had been dreaming about hit his own skin, he lost all control… and cautiousness turned to huger… and bliss turned to desire.

Reyna and Zorgi didn't know if it was fortunate or unfortunate that they couldn't pull their eyes away. Bakura ravaged Marik's mouth, having wrapped an arm around Marik's waist and squeezed the boy's thigh with the other palm. Marik seemed to be enjoying it thoroughly, as he too had managed to bury his hands in Bakura's long mane of black hair, pulling Bakura's head even closer. Suddenly, Marik bit upon Bakura's lower lip, and the other gave a low growl in response, as he opened his mouth wider, allowing better access.

The blonde Egyptian started to give little gasps in their kiss, pumping his hot breath in Bakura's mouth, moaning the other's name languidly throughout their steaming exchange. Small actions such as these seemed to pummel Bakura's desire even more, as he violently bent forward and pulled Marik by the waist, so that we could be the one seemingly on top, while Marik had his long legs hooked intimately around the raven's waist. The tomb robber breathed dazedly into the other's throat with his eyes firmly closed, allowing his hands to roam a little more, over the juicy curves he so needed to feel. Oh…how long he had dreamed of this…the ecstasy of touching…taking…feeling that juicy skin.

This seemed to go on for a while, as the golden snake rolled in a trained loop around the lovers, pulling them tighter, closer together, enough to adhere them completely to one another, so that Bakura could no longer discern who he was or whether he was dreaming or not. The pit was simply too deep, and he wanted to keep on falling forever.

In a flash of understanding, Reyna and Zorgi realized, that the snake had probably done this dozens of times before…dozens of times it had pulled them together, keeping them close to one another, showing Marik's feelings, guiding Bakura…

A particularly loud crash from the door brought Reyna back to reality.

"Oh no!" she said, and turned to the kissing lovers for support "They're coming through! We can't hold them any longer!"

It had to be then, of course, at the most critical of moments, that Marik had to suddenly throw another sudden bomb at them. Upon hearing Reyna's voice, he broke the kiss, allowing Bakura to act like a lust-crazed, desire-driven, infatuated teenager and delve into Marik's crooked neck, biting down erotically at the other's skin. And though Marik had seemed intent on answering to Reyna before, only a long, wanton moan echoed earnestly from his throat now. He crushed his pelvis against Bakura's, giving out the strangled cry of an aroused animal simultaneously with the other, which certainly didn't make them sound like they were hurting.

Reyna and Zorgi blushed.

"BAAAAKURAAAA! Do you hear? Knock It off! We have to get out! Get a room for this!"

Seeing as Bakura made no move to answer to the girl, Marik broke away from the kiss yet again, accepting Bakura's diving heatedly and nibbling at his throat playfully.

And then, for the first time ever, they heard Marik's voice.

"Bakura…" came the long, lust-laced drawl from Marik's ethereal cave of a mouth. Ooooh, whatever he said must have been wonderful, since he looked so undeniably beautiful when he said it…how could that heavenly creature of such extreme divinity EVER say or do anything tainted…?

"Bahti rai…Suhaan umre corolda maa…huume koora" (_Please_, my star… let me _kill_ that woman…when we're done)

a/n: ok so this is it for now. I hope you liked it! I'm so tired right now, and I just wanted to say thank you to OBSESSED for her oekaki! I liked it very much! Well, as always,** I LOVE YOU GUYZ, YOU ARE THE BEST**! I hope this chapter was ok, since I combined action with a little horror and romance. Then again, the next chapters will be more steamy and emotional, since they will focus more on our bishounen that the other chars…

The smut written in this chap wasn't really appealing, since it was seen from 'Zorgi and Reyna's' POV, mainly…this, however, is the beginning of the second part of the story…the first part was **"observe from Reyna and Zorgi's POV how ancient Bakura displays his undying affection for Marik at their quest for Marik's glyphs"**…the second part will be "**learn Bakura and Marik's past, understand their relationship, their reasons to demand revenge (**nemesis revenge in Greek)…**and witness some steamy action, of course!" **

That's all I 'll say for now…Plz review and tell me if you liked this chap especially! It would make me so happy!


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